The Reapers Summer
by Helljumper206
Summary: For as long as she could remember, Summer had been fighting. Not remembering her past before her service to humanity and the galaxy at large. With the threat of the Reapers about to be dealt with once in for all, images of a time before appear. A/N: Commander Shepard is Summer Rose.
1. Chapter 1

**BAM!**

**BAM!**

**BAM!**

The shots from the Commander's pistol went as she fired at the structure in front of her. She was hurting badly and oh so wanted to rest her head but pushed on. This was it. She was almost done. All the work she put into these last few years was now coming to an end. And she will be damned if she wasn't going to go out hunched over without finishing what she started!

Righting herself up she held her crucifix hand cannon out properly in one hand and started firing properly like the N7 she is.

**BAM!**

**BAM! BOOM!** Went the conduit.

The Commander kept firing. As she did, she felt her life flash before her eyes. She saw her friends that she lost. Thane, Legion, Mordin, and Anderson. Those that stayed by her side, Joker, Tail, Garrus. All the choices she made in her life come to this point. However short it was since she could only remember as far back to the attack on Elysium where her memories of being in the middle of the Skyllian Blitz while organizing a city wide defense against slaver attacks.

**BAM! BOOM!**

**BAM! BOOM! BAM!**

Her mind tried to move back to what her life had before it. She could not remember, even after coming back form the dead from being killed by the Collectors and Cerberus bringing her back to the fight. The only things she could remember are from the dreams. The colors of yellow, white, black, and red in her mind. Like a spectator in the back her head.

**BOOM! BAM! BOOM!**

**BAM! BOOM! BOOM!**

"_He. He_."

The women's mind perspective seemed to stop as she heard the sound of laughter. Not one you hear from soldiers or mercenaries that she heard plenty from before from her friends she consider family. But from a little girl.

"_Mom, can I have another?_" Echoed the voice of a little girl that hadn't lost her innocence.

"_Come down Ruby, don't want to spoil your dinner and leave Yang hanging without any of your mothers cookies._" Said an older male voice.

"_Yes, dad,_" Replied the voice of the little girl.

Ruby. Yang.

**BOOM!**

The Red and Yellow.

**BOOM!**

Her daughters.

**BOOM!**

The two lights of her life.

**BOOM! BOOM!**

How could she ever forget them?

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

The rest of her life seemed to fill in after that. With the grace of a dreadnought crashing against a planet. She remembered everything. Tears of pain, regret, sorrow, joy and love fell from her silver eyes that hit her worse than all the past injuries she received from the Reapers. She was prepared to die moments before with little to regret on the choices she made.

Now, as the walkway she stood on fell away from under her, sending her into the mass of energy the crucible was building up with.

The only thing that made Summer Shepard Rose regret the most, was not coming home like she promised.

* * *

"What do we have?" Asked Dr. Wilson as he looked over his new charge.

"VDF found her outside the city wall during that strange electrical storm that restarted the kingdoms systems." The Nurse explained as she taped away on her tablet. "The soldiers that found her didn't find any scroll or anything that could ID the women but took her picture an ran it through the data base of Huntsman files and public records."

The doctor looked at the nurse in confusion. "Is she a Huntress?"

"She was wearing pieces of body armor that looked like they went through a war zone. Which might answer the question of why she doesn't have a scroll on her." The doctor nodded in acceptance of that hypotheses. Many Huntsman have used armor in the past and present. Thou many just rely on their Aura to protect them, sacrifice protection for agility and speed. Taking chances on avoiding hits rather than taking the chances on getting hit. "Doctor, we've got a match on the Women's ID, and I'm a little lost here."

Dr. Wilson raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem? Who is she?" He asked the nurse.

"The ID came back with an 89% positive on a missing Huntress. Summer Rose, listed as a licensed huntress. A significant other, Taiyang Xiao Long, licensed mother of two, a Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, both students going to Beacon currently in their first year and with a residence over on the island of Patch off the coast of Vale." The nurse answered.

"Well that's good news. I'm sure her family will be overjoyed that she has returned alive. What's so confusing about that?" The doctor asked.

"Doctor, it says here that she's been missing for close to eleven years."

The little bomb shell made the Wilson go wide eye as he turned to the unresponsive rose laying in her bed. Seeing all the scars and bullet wounds she had on her he wanted to know everything on where she's been.

"Nurse prep the scanners and prep Miss Rose for a full MRI. We need to know what had happened to her and the best way we can do that is to find out how she got the way she is." The doc instructed before turning to leave the room.

"Where are you going Doctor?" The nurse making the man stop for a moment.

"I'll be making some call's to the family.

* * *

**Just an idea I had floating in the back of my mind.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Ruby! Yang!"

A man with yellow hair and soul patch wearing brown leather armor hugged his two daughters, a long-haired girl that matched his color hair, and a shorter girl with dark red hair with a crimson cape.

"Dad, we're alright. What's going on the school nurse came in and retrieved us saying that a family member was in the hospital. We thought it was you!" Ruby said as she hugged her father.

Taiyang shook his head. "I thought it was one of you two, but seeing you two alright has lifted a burden off my shoulders. It also can't be Qrow because I was just off the phone with him before you stepped in. He had just entered the city when I called so he should be here soon."

"Uncle Qrow in town?" Yang asked to which their father nodded with a smile.

"With the Vytal festival drawing near he wanted to be here for a surprise visit and see you girls compete.

The three were in one of the major hospitals of Vale. Ruby and Yang were in the middle class over in Beacon when suddenly they were told that a family member was in the hospital. They were excused by Ms. Goodwitch for the days' classes and got put on a Bullhead to the hospital in question. Taiyang was in the middle of teaching at Signal Academy when he got the news someone important to him got sent to the hospital. He ended up calling Ozpin and asked for details on his daughter's conditions. He'd told him they were both fine and were in the middle of Grimm studies. After being told that he tried dialing up Qrow and he got a response from the roaming alcoholic. Told him what had happened and was making his way to the hospital.

"Who can it be?" Ruby asked the question of the hour.

Taiyang's mind went in multiple directions when his eyes caught sight of his eldest. Her lilac met his blue, and his mind went to his first wife.

"You think it might be Raven," Yang asked her father. Ruby looked between the two in worry. Ruby knew the story that she was Yang's half-sister due to her mother walking out on her from a young age, and later Summer filling that role with herself coming not too long after that.

"I don't know. If it is Raven, I wonder what cause her to end up in the hospital in the first place." Taiyang replied to her before concealing a smile from his daughters as an old memory of Yang's biological mother came up. Raven hated hospitals and the school nurse's office saying they were places that only the week go. Till Qrow dropped the bombshell that his sister was deathly scared of needles. The brother of the twin ended up doing makeup work while in Beacons Nurse's office for next following week but didn't regret it.

"Hey, did I miss anything?" Said a tired male voice.

"Uncle Qrow!" Squealed the young Rose before using her semblance to tackle the veteran huntsman. There catching the red blur stood a man with messy buck hair and red eyes. Wearing a small white cape on his back, the concealed his weapon behind him. "It's so good to see you!" Ruby squealed. "Did you miss me? Did yea did yea?!"

Qrow looked down at his niece for a second with a straight face before smiling. "Nope." He said with popping the "P."  
His attention then turned to his brother in law. "How you been Tia?" He asked.

"Been better, I would just like to know why we're here. The nurses haven't said anything, and it's getting on my nerves."

"Then allow me to enlighten you, sir."

The family looked at the new arrival and saw a doctor standing there. "Greetings, my name is Dr. Steven Wilson. I'm part of the staff here at Vale general. I am the one that called you all here."

"What's this about Doc? You've made us all worry there with those calls." Qrow declared.

The family watched the Doctor shift in place for a moment as he tried to form the right words. "I'm sorry that this may be difficult, and it may be even hard for you if I tried to explain it outright. So, I think it would be best if you follow me and I'll showed you." The Doctor said as he gestured them to follow him.

The four looked at each other before following the Doctor, each wondering why they were here.

After traveling to the hospital's third story and down the hall, the Doctor stopped them at one of the closed-door patient room. The Doctor turned to them his face stern. "I asked that you all keep your voices down when you go in." They all nodded before he opened the door. The family walked in and gasped at just who was there on the patient bed.

"It can't be…" Qrow said in shock as he stared at his former team leader.

"Summer…" Taiyang said as he looked at the mother of his two girls.

"Mom…" Ruby and Yang said at the same.

There, laying on the bed indeed was Summer Rose. The mother of two that has been missing for a decade. Her face scarred from war, her body covered in bandages and asleep.

The four closest members of Summer crowed around the bed for a closer look. Taiyang and Qrow saw that she had a lot of scars on her face that weren't there the last time they saw her. Her hair was longer, and face seemed paler than before, but without a doubt, it was indeed Summer.

Only Qrow could look away and stare straight into the Doctors eyes with the intensity that made the made flinch under the glare of the huntsman with a single word that he spoke. "Explain?"

"The VDF found her right after that strange electrical storm that came through the other day. They brought her in, and we began to identify her. When we saw that she had a family, we called you." Dr. Wilson explained.

The two teens looked at the only mother they've ever known lying in bed. Ruby and Yang took to the opposite sides of their mother. All thoughts of the outside world were gone as they could only stare and hold their mother's hands. Hopping to feel what they were seeing was truly real. When they did reach her, their eyes pored tears down their faces. Feelings surge through them as they felt the warmth of their mother in their hands.

Taiyang could only stare in shock as he watched his daughter wordlessly grab hold of their sleeping mother. He was brought out of his stupor when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Qrow and the Doctor pulling him away from the girls and behind a glass door. When the door closed, the Doctor turned to them. "I know this is opening a lot of wounds being opened up for all of you, but I hope that I can at least give you some answers to what's happened here."

"Lay it straight Doc, what's going on with Summer? I've known Summer for a long time, and she didn't have that many scars on her when I last saw her." Qrow questioned the Doctor.

"Her current injuries looked to be the result of her coming into contact with something that produced a high energy blast that much I'm certain." The Doctor told the two huntsmen.

"Like some of Atlas newest energy weapons," Qrow said, anger filling his voice.

"I thought that as well but something didn't add up," The Doctor said, confusing the other two.

"What do you mean?" Taiyang asked.

"Don't get this the wrong idea but before I was a doctor, I was an Atlas combat medic. I didn't want to believe that my home kingdom was responsible for this, so I checked Summers wounds for any Dust residue that was left behind. I have a college that's still in the kingdom updates me regularly on the kinds of Dust the military uses and came up with no matches."

Qrow cursed under his breath at that. Taiyang was doing the same.

"There's more though." Dr. Wilson said, gaining their attention again. "I explained her current injuries, and now I'm going to show you something that's got me scared."

The two veteran huntsman looked at each other in confusion as the Doctor pulled up several black plastic sheets onto a light board.

"These are from the records of Miss Roses last MRI she did for her last bi-yearly huntsman examination. These were taken roughly four months before she was reported missing." The Doctor explained as he showed them a structure of a normal human being. Taiyang and Qrow weren't new this. They both submitted to the bi-yearly physical that huntsman is required to take. It was a dangerous profession after all, and the logs are there to see if the huntsman can go still do missions. The Doctor than brought up a second pair of MRI shots. "These have been taken yesterday and have been keeping me up all night."

The huntsman recoiled in shock at what they saw.

"By the brothers…" Taiyang whisper in horror. Qrow couldn't even nod in agreement as he looked at what was in front of him.

The whole body of Summer Rose was a mess of black.

"Now you know why," the Doctor said grimly. "For the last seven hours, I've been doing a constant examination on Miss Rose to find out just what has been done to her. So far, I've found that there are signs of surgery being done to her that wasn't in her huntsman profile. It would be easier to tell you where she hasn't received surgery. From what I've found on her body, most of her bones were broken or shattered at one point in time or another and someone, for lack of a better term, put her back together. Her bones have some kind of strong mesh over them that's been keeping her together. I can't tell how old these scars are as whoever sealed her up after the operations did so in the most professional manner I've ever seen as the scars are just barely visible. It's not only that, but her muscle structure throughout her body have implants everywhere below the skin. Scans show she's got implants behind her eyes, the nerve system at the base of her neck, and her brain! Add all that together, she now weighs nearly an extra fifty pounds total of with all that got added to her body weight."

The more Doctor talked, the paler the huntsman got. What had been done to Summer Rose was beyond insanity. Who could have done this to her?

"There is also one other thing you need to know," Dr. Wilson said to them. Dreading what else could he through at them. "I did some blood work to see if there was anything in her system and found something bizarre."

"Bizarre how?" Taiyang asked with fear lacing his voice.

"Well, some strange minerals that showed up in her system that shouldn't be there."

"Dust?" Qrow guested the Doctors answer.

"I thought that at first, but the results came back negative. But whatever it is, its infused in Miss Roses system in every part of her body. So the likely hood of us getting it out are slim to none at all."

Before anything else could be said, Yang opened the door with a fanatic look in her face.

"She's waking up!" She nearly screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby was having trouble forming words as she watched her mother stir in her bed. Her tears wouldn't let up as they poured down her cheeks. She had so much to say. Questions like where and why we're the most important. _Where did you go? What happened? Why didn't you come back?_

The little red reaper wanted to know everything.

She gripped her mother's hand, feeling the warmth that came with it. When she turned her head to look at it, she had to blink for a moment as the Ruby noticed something that she didn't before. Her mother's hand were covered in scars that went up to her arm that disappeared under the patient gown.

Ruby felt her mind halt as she took another look at her mother's face, and felt fresh tears threating to come out of the eyes. A moment before she saw her mother, just like she remembered her. Strong and confident that she can take on the world.

Now the girl looked at battle scared women, ridden with reminders showing many conflicts of war.

Ruby gripped her mother's hand tighter. Raw emotions of anger and sadness built up in her.

_What did you go through to keep your promise to come home, mom?_ Was the next thought, Ruby had for her mom.

Her thoughts were brought out when she saw her mother shifted in her sleep, eye's squinting shut and mouth twitching.

Mom?" Ruby whisper. "Mom wake up. . . Wake up, mom." Ruby said a little louder as her mother continued to shift in her sleep.

"Wake up," Ruby repeated not noticing her sister had gotten up and left. "Come back, mom. It's time to come home," she pleaded. All the while, the women shifted harder in her sleep.

* * *

Summer Shepard blinked as she felt her mind roam the familiar black forests of the nightmare. One that she's revisited many times before during the war with the Reapers.

Black trees stretched away from her in every direction. The ground mattered in different shades of gray. Particles of ash floated lazily in the air. Shadows of people darted around her eyes as they disappeared when she looked in their directions. The random park bench and light post that she will pass every time to find the little boy that she watched die when she abandoned Earth.

Looking down at herself, she wore her custom set of N7 armor that she collected throughout the Reaper campaign.

It was quiet. The air still, no whispers of dead friends haunted the air, only her breathing breaking the silence.

Something was different, though and in came to instantly. Each time she had this dream, the boy she saw on Earth, the one the Catalyst mimicked from her mind that spoke to her before she made her choice.

Destroying the Reapers once and for all.

Now that she did, why was she here?

_…He. Ha…_

The laughter of a little girl answered.

Spinning around from her spot, Summer was greeted with a new view.

No longer was the ground mattered in gray with burnt grass but in a blanket of white snow. The tall black forest trees were replaced with shorter wide branch trees. Ash had been replaced with snowflakes. The shadows of people and park benches also disappeared.

The sound of cloth flapping in the wind drew her attention. Looking back, the women saw that she was no longer wearing the custom N7 armor. Instead, she had on a white hood & cloak that stretched down to her knees. A black long sleeve top that went down to a skirt. A belt around her waist contained several ammo pouches. While also having a pair of long black pants with combat boots on her feet.

Summer had to blink a few times at that. This was new. But at the same time, felt strongly familiar like putting on an old uniform that you haven't worn in so long. Then it hit her; it was what she was wearing back when she was defending against the pirates on Elysium. Thou it was a bit more intact than before, shed had them up till the first Normandy got destroyed and were never recovered. But the cloak was new, she didn't have that before.

_…Ha. Ha…_

The sound of laughter reached her ears once more. She turns to look at the who was laughing and froze.

_…Mommy your back!..._

The women that faced down armies and two-kilometer size monsters felt her blood run as cold at the snow she stood on.

There, standing in the snow were two little girls, no older than four and six. One in golden yellow hair in pig tails purplish eyes and tan skin. The other with a red hood & cape on her shoulders. Hair in the deepest shade of red and skin as pale ash. With eyes silver like her own.

_…Come catch me, mommy!..._

The little girl in yellow said before she and the other girl with her disappear in a blur of red and yellow, leaving behind a trail of rose petals and embers.

The Commander that united a galaxy against a common foe stood shocked still as a sea of emotions filled as she took that first step after the little girls that sprang forth so many questions that need to be answered.

The snow crunched under her feet as she moved. Following the trail, emotions of confusion, sorrow, and sadness filled her mind for reasons that she could not obtain.

She neared them, and the two had their backs turned to her before they ran through the trees. Not wanting to lose them, she tried to follow the trail they left behind.

These girls know her; they called her 'mom.' That feeling of happiest filled her to no end, and she didn't know why but felt right.

Shephard needed to know who they were. She just needed to know. With her past a mystery and sensitive subject to her, it always seemed shift her in a bad mood. Whenever it was mentioned, for no reason whatsoever she'd start becoming teary eyed. It unnerved her to no end. Hell, after Cerberus brought her back and asked Miranda about it, the enhanced women became stunned that Shephard couldn't remember her past before the Blitz. No matter what the women did seemed to work. She'd remembered Jacob looking rather amused at the genetic women's attempts.

The only things she could remember were two blurs of red and yellow with the sound of a little girl's voice, and fallen rose petals.

The only people that she ever told this where those that she trusted absolutely. Which was Anderson, Chakwas, Tali, Garrus, and Joker; no one else knew about this because she asked them not to go spreading it around.

Flashes of those colors came and went during the years that annoyed and infuriated her to no end.

It took time to follow the laughter and rose petals in the snow. Shepard saw the trees had broken to a clearing. The trail of flower petals ended at a cliff with a stone slab before the edge.

Her feet seem to move on their own towards it.

_…Mom..._

The whispers were now back.

_…Your home…_

The Commander's body felt stiff as she moved. Like she felt coming back after a mission.

_…Come back…_

The closer Summer got, more her body ached more. She wanted to stop and rest, but her body kept going.

_…Come back to us…_

Pain seeped in her stomach and arms. As if old wounds were coming back to hunt her with a vengeance.

_…Please…_

Now…there, Summer stood in front of the lone slab of stone. Looking down, her eyes locked onto the inscription it bore.

**_Summer Rose ~ Thus kindly, I scatter._**

Rose The name echoed in her skull like a hammer on an anvil. The only other thing she could remember was her first name, Summer. During the attack on Elysium where she ended up, she picked the last name Shepard due to not remembering her last. She chose it due to how she protected many people from the pirates like a "_Shepard_" defending his flock from wolves.

The only thing that Summer seemed to remember fully was how to fight like a huntress.

_Wait…huntress?_ Summer thought before a series of images form her life before. Of her with fighting with a yellow hair man punching big black bears. A woman in red and black armor, wielding a single blade sword that sliced through several wolf-like creatures with ease. Another man with a scythe chopping up an oversize scorpion. Team STRQ, her old team before she had the Normandy team. Taiyang, Qrow…Raven.

Her family.

_Family_

More images, of Taiyang and a blond-haired baby, with that baby, grew to a cute little girl with pigtails hanging from the back with a big smile on her face. Laying next to her was another baby, one with dark red hair, before too, that baby grew to look like a younger-looking version of herself. The three of them stood together in the for front of Summer's mind for a moment before the slab of her Tombstone was in front of her again.

Summer felt her legs go out under her as her silver eyes never leaving the carved inscription.

Her memories were clearing up and returning to her. The regret, the joy, sorrow, hatred, happiness that was Elite Huntress Summer Rose came forth into Staff Commander Summer Shepard. Who was she now, a Huntress or the Commander, the Rose or a Shepard?

_...Yang. Ruby..._

Her hands felt warm. Even as she sat in the snow and felt them rise up. Looking up, Summer eyed the two girls from earlier each holding one of her arms, with Yang latched to her left and Ruby the right.

_Come on, Mom. It's time to come home._ The little Ruby said.

* * *

Summer blinked at the light that was above her head. The air around her smelt clean like a hospital, with the lack of a ship's bulkhead and replaced with an old-style tile ceiling which told her she wasn't on the Normandy or any hospital on the Citadel. Was she in a hospital on Earth?

"Mom?"

That one spoken word shattered Summer's mind and made her body go stiff. She felt a presser squeeze her hand, letting know she wasn't alone. Very slowly, she looked down to who was gripping her hand.

There she saw herself lying on her back with two young women by each of her sides. The one on her left looked like a younger version of Raven with the way her hair was but with yellow gold hair instead of black. The other looked like a much younger version of herself with her silver eyes and dark red hair. The three of us locked eyes as I could see the depts of their very souls in them, as a sea of emotions swirls in them like a rampaging storm. It felt like time was stopped for the of them as Summer looked into the lactic and silver eyes.

The age may be different, but she would recognize them anywhere.

She razed her hands as best she could while ignoring the pain that came with, she cupped the tear stain cheeks of the two women. They didn't move as she felt the warmth in her hands.

"Yang…Ruby…" Summer said her voice raw but the power was clear as she spoke the names of her children out load for the first time in a decade.

"Momma," Ruby croaked out as tears ran down her eyes and onto Summer's hands. She felt the tears hit her skin.

"This can't be real…" Summer whispered allowed. "I'm dead, or this is some messed up dream that the Reapers did. I can't be here, this can't be happening…"

"Mom," Yang said, getting her attention. "Your home again."

"You…came back…just like you promised…" Ruby sobbed in between words.

Summer looked back and forth between the two as her world just narrowed to barely beyond her bed. "Yang, Ruby…Oh god, I've missed so much…look how much you've grown…my little girls...my babies. My babies!"

The two girls went in and hugged her in a tight embrace. Summer felt all the emotions that she built up throughout the Reaper war and beyond being let out.

She openly cried onto the shoulders of the two brightest stars in her life with the hope of never letting go again.

.

* * *

.

**Even thought I made this I still cry at the end after going back to re-read and editing a few things.**


	4. Chapter 4

Summer held unto her two daughters for a few more minutes before she calmed down and released them. She saw that the tow had grown up to beautiful young women. Yang looked almost like a carbon copy of Raven when they were young with her father's colors. Ruby was the same with herself, and it was almost like dealing with her clone again, only not evil and racist.

It was then she took note of the other three occupants in the room, two of them she recognized instantly. "Qrow? Tai?!" She said in shock. The two-man hadn't changed much in her time away but the differences where there. Qrow looked more his age with the look in his eyes that she'd seen one too many times. Tai too, but now sported a soul patch. That needed to go.

"You have no idea how good it feels to see you again, Sum," Qrow said as the two-man of team STRQ walked op to the bed. Summer turned to look at her old friends.

"Qrow, Tai…" Summer spoke there names again. She saw a sea of emotions play out across there faces.

"Summer…I…" Taiyang stuttered before taking a deep breath and looking at her, happiness slowly filling his features. "Words can't describe how great it is to see you again."

Summer felt her heart swell as she reached out, and the three held each other's hands. There will be a lot of words to be exchanged later in privet between the three.

"Excuse me, Miss Rose?" Said the third man that she did not recognize but wore a white Doctor's coat. "My name is Dr. Wilson. I'm part of the staff here at Vale General, where you are currently act."

"Nice to meet you doc." Summer greeted back.

"Now I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to go over you a bit before you go have a full-blown reunion with your loved ones." The Doctor explained. "I'm sorry if it does but know that I'm only during this for both your sake and there's. We do not want you crashing due to a medical issue that we did not foresee." Summer agreed and began the slow process of a physical.

After nearly half an hour of the Doc doing his check's, he wrote it all down. He also explained how she was found after a freak lightning storm came out of nowhere and the VDF found her right outside Vale and brought her to where she was now. When he was finished, he excused himself and walked out of the room, leaving her with her family. She felt like a repeat of her reunion of her old team after her 'death' from the Collectors. It was then that she decided to break the ice.

"I understand that my being back has caused a lot of pain to resurface. Just know I'll try to answer your questions as best I can." She assured them.

"Mom, where have you been?!" Ruby asked from right off the bat with her father behind her.

"We all thought you died," Yang said with Qrow nodded from behind her.

Summer had to stop and think. She tried to remember how she ended up off-world but was drawing a big blank from her memories. "I just want you all to know that I've been through a lot before I somehow ended up back in Vale. As to what happened Ruby, I have no godly idea…I honestly don't know. I don't even remember what I was doing before whatever happened to me. I was confused for a _long _time as to how everything went down."

"But why did it take you so long to get back? Couldn't you get a ride back to Vale or go to the nearest village that has a connection to the CCT?" Yang asked.

Summer had to think of how to word this without sounding crazy. As far as she knew, her homeworld didn't have connections with the rest of the galaxy, making this a first contact situation. Then again, this is her family she was talking to, so she decided to kick the rules to the curb again. Wouldn't be the first time she did something behind the council's back or their approval. Then a thought occurred.

"The answer is easy to explain but hard to digest, girls. I was no longer on Remnant." She said simply.

Seeing the looks of disbelief on their faces. Summer lifted her left hand up, and she sent a mental command to the Omi-tool that was embedded in her hand. She smiled as the familiar orange holographic glow from her that formed around her hand and wrist. The four had varied looks of surprise when they saw that.

Summer saw this and smiled. Seeing something as common as an Omi-tool get such looks was a little funny to her. "Before we begin, let me point out the obvious, this is an Omni-tool. Omni-tools are handy little handheld devices that combine a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and mini-facturing fabricator. Versatile and reliable, an omni-tool can be used to analyze and adjust the functionality of most standard equipment, including weapons and armor. They are standard issue with soldiers, colonist, and anyone willing to fly out into the unknown." Summer explained. She then pushed a few buttons and a holographic form of a planet that was not Remnant. "This is Elysium, a human colony located in the Vetus system within the Petra nebula. With reasons beyond my own, I was suddenly just there during a massive pirate attack."

Her family was stunned as they looked at the hologram floating over the hand. Surprisingly it was Ruby that bounced back to what she just said. "Wait, humans? We haven't even left our world, let alone colonized other worlds, and you fought pirates? Like 'Argh, I will be taking your bootie,' pirates?" Her youngest said, getting a short bark of laughter out of her.

"Pirates in the movies are not like the ones out in the galaxy, little red." Summer said as she patted her youngest's head, much to everyone's amusement.

"Plus, that's also a good question." Summer said as she tried to remember from the history of humanity. "I don't know how to explain it, the ones I've met have records of evolution on the Human Alliance homeworld of Earth where it stated that they evolved there."

_If I ever see Javik again, I'm going have a few words with him. Maybe his people relocated some humans to this Remnant. There may even be a Prothean outpost somewhere on this world that the people here haven't discover yet. _Summer thought to herself.

"But yea there is another human race out there Ruby." Summer's expression then turned dark as the women got series. "And seeing a pirate raid in real life was something they don't show on the big screen. When they attacked, it wasn't just pirates I was dealing with, but slavers to all under the control of several batarian Warlords."

This shocked everyone again as they looked at Summer. She then explained everything that happened while the attack was happening. How she unarmed and was using everything at her disposal from looting fallen gear to coronating with survivors to either evacuate area's or produce a counterattack on the enemy and met up with the Alliance military for a counterattack that drove the invaders off the planet.

Summers saw her old teammates of STRQ look at her with a sense of familiarity. She was a leader before she became displaced in the universe, and those skills were what kept her alive today now that her memories returned, which was something that Summer needed to address for later.

When Summer got finished her story about the Blitz, Ruby and Yang looked like they had stars in there in their eyes.

"After that, when the Alliance was finished and brought me aboard one of their ships, I realized something important happened to me that would haunt me till today…"

"What happened?" Yang said that was also the thought of everyone's mind.

"I couldn't remember my name…" She said lamely.

"WHAT?!" Everyone said at once.

"I couldn't remember my own name, I remembered my first name, but when I tried giving my last name, I couldn't give it. Before the attack, I could only remember my first name and how to fight, nothing else. Remnant, being a huntress, being a mother…" Everyone was silent for a moment as Summer tried to form words this topic. "I couldn't remember…like everything important to me was suppressed."

"Something made you forgot about us?" Ruby said, with a look that Summer had only seen herself do. A face saying "I'm gonna kick your ass, that's not telling it's a fact." Seeing it on her daughter both made her a little scared that she saw it herself and proud that her Ruby can pull off a look like that. Summers crew said that she made those faces that sent chills through the air. Example of this was when they confronted the batarian extremist that was trying to send an asteroid to Terra Nova. Or when she nearly killed the director of Project Overlord, Dr. Archer, after finding out what he did to his brother.

"It was difficult not remembering anything about my past. Luck was on my side when I made a new friend that I would entrust my life too for the rest of my life. A lieutenant David Anderson, an officer with the Alliance military." This looked like it made Qrow shift and as he made a face.

"You made friends with military type's Sum, that must have been fun for yea," Qrow said as he shook his.

Summer didn't like where he was taking this. "He defended me Qrow. I was lost and without a purpose and would have been swept aside and set as a dangerous person. Instead, he offered me a chance to prove myself, gave me a chance to put my skills where I'm needed and put me on a path for one of the greatest rides of my life."

Her words seemed to move Qrow into an uncomfortable position as he shifted in his spot. Taiyang came quick to his partners' rescue. "Qrow been having issues with people from Atlas lately. He doesn't really like military types," He explained.

Summer shifted slightly in her bed. "That's too bad because I'm also one."

"What?" Said the two adults as they were clearly not expecting that.

"Yep," Summer said, with a popping 'P.' "Anderson, gave me a chance not to become a threat in the eyes of the galaxy and got me a spot in the Alliance's N7 program, which is like their version of Huntsman. Put me through some of the hardest training of my life. What I remember back in Beacon doesn't compare."

The two adults' faces were comical with their jaws drop, Yang blinked with a surprised look on her face, and Ruby had a look of wonder on her face.

"That's surprising Summer, I remember you didn't have a grudge with the military but had no drive to support them either," Tai said.

Thinking back Summer tried to remember what she was like, but with her memories still jumbled, it was hard to tell. "I've changed a lot, Tai, especially in the last few years."

"We know Summer," Qrow said, confusing the three girls in the room.

"You do?" Yang said.

"The Doc pulled the two of us aside for a moment and told us about your physical condition," Qrow said making the Alliance officer twitch as she knows where this conversation was going.

"He said you have surgery's done all over your body Summer. He found an ungodly amount of implants in you, and that's got us worried. "Taiyang said with hurt filled voice. "What the hell did they do to you?"

Summer was quiet, that question was bound to happen, but she'd somewhat hoped it wasn't this quick. She sighed as she thought about how to word this, knowing this would be a topic that could be considered borderline insanity. "That question is not going to come with a simple answer and to explain all of it will probably take days in detail. Trying to simplify it would only confuse you and everyone here. Do you really want to know?"

Looks of uncertainty were all around her, but one by one they all to nodded their heads. Summer combed her hair back with her hand, trying to think on how to start off. "A few years ago, I was given over command of my first ship, the Normandy-SR1," She began as she typed in her Omi-tool bringing out the image of the first Normandy. A feeling of longing briefly past through her at the sight of her first ship.

"You were space a captain mom?! Wait you said 'first' did that mean you captain more than one ship?" Ruby said in aw.

Summer nodded. "Good ears Ruby, I hope you're using those while you and Yang are in school. But Yea, my time in the Alliance propelled me to be a ship captain of a small stealth frigate. The Normandy was home to me for a time as I led her in many engagements against terrorists, monsters, salvers, merc bands, and much more." She started. Memories of before her death brought her some joy. Back when things were so much simpler. "Then one day out on portal we came under fire in a surprise attack. It ended up getting destroyed, and I got spaced…not a fun experience I can tell you that. Most of those implants you saw were from the multiple surgeries to put me back together.

"How bad were you hurt, mom?" Yang asked as she leaned forward.

"I was in bad shape, Yang. Really bad. Was under the knife for two years and essentially dead to the world around me. Like one moment I'm floating in space with a front-row seat, watching the destruction of my ship the next I'm waking up a hospital bed."

"That must have been confusing." Qrow quipped.

"Very," Summer nodded in agreement. "But yeah, there is a lot of parts keeping me together. Telling how each piece works will all probably go over everyone's head."

"I guess," Qrow said in agreement.

"Anyway," Summer said with a smile that threatened to tear her face in half. "My turn to ask questions. I've been gone for so long that I missed a bunch of important things! Like does Ruby have a boyfriend and did Tai here get with another girl? I'm brimming with questions that need to be answered here!"

"Dad didn't get together with another chick and Ruby's less interested in the opposite sex and more into weapons," Yang fired off one after the other.

Summer looked at her oldest for a moment then turned to Ruby and Tai. "Huh…I was half expecting you to find someone new to support yourself and the girls, Tai."

Tai looked down with shame. "After you went missing Summer and declared dead to the world, I pretty much shut down. Lost my drive to do anything, turned to drink for a while… I was not in a good place."

"Aw Tai…" Summer said dejectedly. He didn't need to say. She'd see it happen to others more than she'd like.

"I'm fine now, Summer. I got my head out of my rear and my priorities straight. Yang here was stronger than me for most of those days." The father praised his oldest.

Summer saw Yang looked away in sadness most likely looking back in those dark times. Summer reached out held Yang's giving the young women a comforting smile to which brought one I return.

"What else has happened?" Summer asked.

"Yang and Ruby got into Beacon together and are on the same team," Qrow told her.

Summer had to blink for a sec as she had to think about what her friend just said. "Wait a moment. How did that happen? Ruby is younger than Yang."

"Ruby got admitted two years early on her performance and got herself recognized by stopping a Dust robbery. Ozpin let her and made her the leader of her team after initiation," he explained.

"Team RWBY all the way!" Yang said as she crossed over the bed and brought Ruby into a hug, much to Ruby's annoyance but Summer could see a smile on the red hair girls face.

Summer reached out and pulled the two of them into another hug. "I'm so proud of you two! I wonder if they have it recorded. I wanna watch how you all did," she said before breaking the hug.

Before anything else could be said, Dr. Wilson returned. "Hello everyone, I regret to inform you all that Visiting hours are ending, and I'll have to ask you all to leave."

"What? NO!" Ruby shouted while going back to hug her mother. "I don't want to leave!"

"Hey, Doc, how long do I have to stay here for?" Summer asked.

"Now that your awake, personally a week to recover. But knowing you Huntsman another day of observation to diagnose your injuries to make sure you have nothing else becomes a problem." He explained.

"Come on, girls. Let's give your mother some time to rest," Tai said as he and Qrow left with the later giving a smile before leaving. Ruby hadn't moved from her spot from her mother.

"Ruby, I'm not going anywhere," Summer assures her.

"You're staying, aren't you?" Ruby said in a sad tone. Summer found herself on the receiving end of the puppy dog eyes. The effect was gut-punching to the Spector.

"After missing this much of your life. I'm not going anywhere," Summer said after giving her daughter and stepdaughter one last hug. A deep feeling of 'Home' filled Summer's heart, one where she only felt when on the Normandy's CIC. The three broke, and the two Beacon students left with smiles on their faces.

Summer watched her family leave with only herself in bed. Usually after something like this, she would go back to her ship and rest in her cabin. With no ship to go back to and not having to rely on her usual Doctor, she would need to stay around just to make sure she was ok.

Thinking back to her last moments on the Citadel Summer had to wonder just _how _she got to Remnant from Earth? The last thing she remembered was the floor falling under her. The Doc said she was found during a freak lightning storm, must have been the Crucible during and must have fallen in the energy stream and sent her here. But sending her to Remnant, what are the odds?

All of a sudden, the N7 felt a muscle twitch in the back of her head, that six sense that she was being watched from afar. A glance at her room showed no cameras so turned her eyes towards the only window in her room.

There she saw a single black raven sitting on the window ledge looking back at her. Summer stared into the birds red eyes for a full minute. Summer closed her eyes as more memories surfaced before looking back, seeing the bird flying out into the distance.

"Raven…"


	5. Chapter 5

"_The created will always rebel against their creators… the result is conflict, destruction, chaos. It is inevitable._"

The memory flickered in Summer's head.

"_You're taking away our future! Without a future, we have no hope. Without hope, we might as well be machines, programmed to do what we're told._"

Summer felt agitated as that now she was left to her own her mind was going back to a certain topic she didn't want to think about at this moment. Not wanting her mind to wander to that particular conversation, Summer had called up the doctor to bring in any items that might have been with her when the VDF found her. A few minutes later, she was handed what was left of her armor. The Commander ended up winching at the sight of it.

If she had to summarize the condition of her armor in one word, it would be "_crap._"

The custom set of N7 armor she wore during the assault on Earth was absolutely filthy and spotted dried blood all over. The plates on the Hanna-Kedar leg guards and shoulder plates had chipped in a few places. The armax arsenal arm guards cracked, and the recon hood was gone entirely. The only thing that looked less than ideal but alright, for now, was her Hanna-Kedar chest piece, which is covered in blood. A lot of blood.

Summer was surprised to find that the M-7 Lancer she took from the Citadel vault when she was chasing her evil clone still with her. She had it and the M-6 Carnifex that she picked up and had used to shoot the conduit. But sadly, she had lost her Heavy Black Widow sniper rifle, that put a dampener on the Spector's mood. For without her big sniper rifle, Summer felt she was half the infiltrator she was before.

Raising her hand, she felt the odd twitch of the Cerberus implant in the back of her head and a purplish-blue glow surrounded it. When Miranda was rebuilding her, she thought that turning an N7 soldier that specialized in long-range combat to biotic vanguard was a good idea, yea, right.

Summer eventually got the implants for her to use her infiltration skills effetely but had to settle with some additions. She did admit that her biotic Pull was helpful and the Flare, Aria T'loak of all people taught her have been useful in a few situations.

But honestly, she really was surprised that she still had the old gun. She must not have felt the weight of it when she was in all that pain when she was trying to find Anderson. Looking it over it still had the extended mag and piercing mod which made her really happy. Taking a glance under the hood of the heavy pistol, she found that the owner of the old gun of it had to install a piercing mod and had the frame made with ultralight materials. She then saw that the gun wasn't running on thermal clips but had the old cool-down system instead like her M-7. Now that she thought about it, she did take down several enemies and destroyed that conduit without changing thermal clips. That made things easier now that running out of thermal clips was no longer an issue since she no longer needed them.

Feeling satisfied with her two weapons, she began rummaging through the pockets for anything useful. She had pulled out several damaged thermal clips, her spare field cleaning kit, and a few protean bars from her the pockets that were held within her armor. The last thing she found was the Kuwashii Visor Gurras got her. It was meant to be a gift for celebrating her new place on the Citadel after but haven't worn it much since than but kept it in reserve if she needed it. With the lost of her hood then that men she was going to need it now. Finding nothing else that held of interest, she grabbed a rag from her cleaning kit and went to work on the M-6.

While she was cleaning her mind couldn't help that her thoughts drifted to the Normandy. She should not have to worry about her team. They were more than capable of handling themselves. They're all adults; some were even far older than she is, even if they act like kids some days.

Even though she was back on her homeworld and reunited with her long-lost family, she could not deny that the Normandy was also her home. With Joker at the helm, Garrus calibrating something, Tali hip-deep in the ship's engines and who could forget Dr. Chakwas motherly personality. Plus, the others that have served aboard the Normandy with her.

Activating her Omni-tool, Summer tried to see if she was within range of any comm-buoys. If she were then sending a signal to the Alliance to send them a status of her location and receiving a sitrep on her ship and crew would put her mind at ease. That and the attack force that was sent to Earth. Tens of thousands of ships was hinged in that attack, and she brought them all to bare against the Reapers. Her being alive due to the Crucible firing was what brought her here shows that the attack must have been successful, so knowing the aftermath of everything was important.

'**No Signal**'

"Crap, well there goes that idea," she murmured as her shoulders dropped. Before anything else could happen, Summer heard her a knocking at her room door.

"Come in," she said as she deactivated her Omni-tool figuring, it was the doctor or nurse coming to check on her.

Instead of one of the white-coated staff, in came an individual, she had to blink a few times to see and remember a few memory flashes of the cane welding man that walked in.

"Ozpin?"

"As I live breath Miss Rose," Ozpin said as her old headmaster walked to her bed. "When I received news earlier that one of Vales most talented huntress's have returned from nearly a decade of silence and was declared missing, it made me wonder who it was. When I learned it was the mother of two of my first-year students. It made me intrigued about which mother." He now stood by Summers side before sitting in the chair with his hands leaning on his cane. "I had to see it for myself if it was really you Summer."

"Well, nice to see you to, old man," Summer greeted back.

"Seeing you alive, Miss Rose has brought a great weight off my shoulders, and I could only imagine the joy for your family from seeing you alive again has done."

"It was something. With what went on with me, I can only guess what happened with the family I left behind," she sighed. Ozpin smiled sadly at her before turning serious.

"I hope you don't mind me cutting to the chase Miss Rose, but what happened to you? My last reports of your actions were outside of Vacuo heading into the wastelands for a bounty mission. It would have taken you on average about a week to be through with what it had you to do, after being missing for three, Qrow searched the regain for nearly two months straight before I personally went in and dragged him out. The only thing that he found was your family pendent and pieces of your weapon." Ozpin told her.

"Iron Thorn…" Summer's mind received more memories for a moment, images and designs of custom weapon. A strangely odd sword that was as long as she was tall, with a single blade on one side, a gun barrel on the other with the blade folding under into a hook. A gray cross guard with a white hilt looking like the butt of a rifle and a trigger and mag well on the opposite side of the blade. "Man, do you know if Tai or Qrow still has her? I forgot to ask him about that."

"From what Qrow told me, he gave it to Ruby and in turn re-forged the broken pieces into her own weapon, Crescent Rose as Ruby calls her now," Ozpin nodded in confirmation.

The more Ozpin talked the more memories of the guy popped up, including a few unexpecting ones that Summer had to blink and think about before she could speak.

Letting a sigh as she knew the wizard was still expecting an answer to his earlier question. "If you're here past visiting hours, then you should have brought something to drink. For if you want to know everything, it will be a while to explain everything that went down. Even if my memory on the event that sent me on this journey hasn't resurfaced, I can tell you about where I went." Summer than leaned forward towards the reincarnated man, "and just, so you know," she whispered. "I've already started telling my family where I've been and will continue to do so as this story is mine to share. I can only keep so many secrets from my family, and the ones I keep from everyone will be kept solely with me until I feel they can handle what I've done. Just like you have the Maidens, I've got my Reapers." Her silver eyes glowed with a red machine-like aura behind them from her ocular implants.

Summer saw Ozpins eyes widen but nodded to her demand. Then she began telling her tale.

Summer began her tail by telling Ozpin about the other humanity that reached the stars, the council races, her Spector status, Saren, her death and the Reaper threat. Then she told him about her resurrection by Cerberus, the collectors, and their destruction by her. Finally, she told him of her leaving Earth due to the Reapers invading in mass Cerberus betrayal and the Reaper War, and her choice. All the while showing the wide eye headmaster with images from Summer's Omni-tool.

The next few hours of explanation were something the man will never forget as the horrors his old student endured was something that would break many strong men.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wow, this sure is bringing back some memories," Summer said in nostalgia as she looked at Beacon academy from the window of her transport.

She shifted in the civilian clothes that the hospital had given her as she wasn't used to wearing anything that wasn't a uniform or body armor in a long while. So Summer had to make do with the tight sky blue shirt that felt two sizes smaller than what she was comfortable with that hugged her chest. The cargo pants were the exact opposite and were two sizes bigger than what she would typically wear and had to use a belt she received from the hospitals lost and found.

Before Ozpin left after telling him of Summer's past adventures of the universe, he asked her to stay over at Beacon for the time being. She was about to decline the offer when the thought of being near her two daughters sound much more appealing. She suspected that he also wanted to keep an eye on her. With what she'd remembered of the guy and with her past experience of secret organizations, it wasn't surprising.

At least Ozpin's a step above The Illusive Man as he will actually say it straight in your face rather than hide behind a QEC.

He'd also offer her a job as one of the school's staff to help with the influx of students coming in for the Vytal Festival at the end of the next semester. Apparently, that was this year that she came back to her old home, not that Summer minded. From her memories of the festival, she and her team competed in the tournament. She also remembered that they had a great time.

Plus having a source of income while planetside will be useful. Summer didn't know if her old Huntress accounts were still open after a decade of non-activity or emptied out by her family. She will need to ask Tai later as he had access to the accounts.

Summer snapped her thoughts to the now, she was on an airship, making a landing at the school's docks. On the platform, she spotted groups of students milling about their day with a sizable group waiting at the edge of the docks.

There she saw the familiar yellow mess of hair of Yang and the red cloak of her Ruby with another pair of girls, one with black hair and the other white. All four of them in school uniforms. She could also spot Qrow and Glenda. She came by last night to retrieve the Headmaster and what memories Summer had of the women resurface. She was in a senior team when Summer and Qrow were in Beacon, now she was the deputy headmistress of Beacon and the combat instructor. The woman gets around. When Goodwitch saw Summer last night to retrieve Ozpin, the women smiled and gave her greetings saying it was good to have her back.

The airship had docked and opened its doors to the N7 Commando. Grabbing her bag that held the broken N7 armor and weapons, Summer stepped out to great the welcoming party.

"Mom!" The red blur that pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy you are going to staying with us!"

The impacted from her youngest staggered the Spector as the speed she crossed was almost like a biotic charge. "Easy Rubies, Mom just got out of the hospital, she doesn't want to go back after her first day out." Yang teased her as she approached the duo before giving the women a more gentler hug. Then the two other girls that appeared to be Yang's age walked up with the three.

Summer couldn't help but softly laugh. "Don't worry Yang, I've taken on worse hits. Remind me to tell you about how another one of my teammates and I went toe to toe with the Shadow Broker."

"The Shadow Broker?" The four girls echoed.

"An infamous information broker that could tip over governments and start wars at the press of a button," Summer said offhandedly like it was nothing to be concerned about while shocking everyone around them.

"What'd you do?" Ruby said excitedly, much to the white-haired girl's visible annoyance.

Summer spotted the two newcomers that were most likely the rest of Ruby and Yang's team.

"I'll tell you girls later, how about you introduce me to who these two are?" Summer asked her daughters.

The white one seemed to look in approval at her like she'd seen on people in political power. "Hello, Misses Rose. My name is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and Ruby's partner."

'_Oh great, my daughter's partner is a blueblood type._' Summer thought to herself before another took hold. '_Still, with Ruby's hyperactive tendency of childlike innocence, I wonder who will corrupt the other in their time together?_' "It is nice to meet you, Weiss. If you are Ruby's partner and me becoming one of the school staff, then you will more than likely see me around."

"I look forward to seeing what you have in store for classes, Professor," Weiss finished before stepping back and standing next to Ruby.

Summer then directed her attention to who she assumes to be Yang's partner. "And you must be Blake, Yang told me a bit about you. I'm happy she has a partner that's level headed enough to keep her from going too wild."

Blake gave a small smile at her while giving a little nod of her head. "It is nice to meet you, Missis Rose."

Summer just waved her hand, "Please, outside like this call me 'Summer,' adding the Miss part makes me sound older than I like to be." Summer waved her hand before turning to the two adults, or more actually one adult and one drunken man child. "Qrow, Glynda where's Ozpin and Tai? I thought the two of them would be here." She asked the two.

"The Headmaster is on call to a meeting with the Vale Council about a few crucial matters being discussed for the upcoming Vital Festival," Goodwitch answered.

"And Tai had to go back to Signal to convince the academy professors to give him more time off. Probably won't see him for a bit." Qrow finished.

Summer bit back a curse. She had wanted to have a chat with her old 'teammate' about their current relationship status. With her being declared dead for all these years on Remnant and to her family she left behind. Summer wanted to try and talk things out with the blond about where they were now. It had been so long for both of them to be apart from each other that Summer wasn't sure where they were in the process of togetherness. Having it delayed was like an annoying needle in the back.

"In the meantime," Goodwitch said being the attention back to her, "Ozpin has arranged for you to stay in on-campus in one of the apartments used for the staff, where you can use how you see fit." Note that Summer watched the deputy headmistress dart her eyes over to the team next to Summer. "Students are allowed in them with the permission of the owner of said apartment. But will be expected to uphold the rules and be back at their dorms at the amounted time," she finished with a glare at the four teens. Summer saw the first-year team wilt a bit at the glare from the professor and all agreed with there own individual replies. Glenda seemed satisfied before looking back at Summer and handed her a small rectangular object. "Apartment 121 is open to you, and this scroll will let you in as I've been told you lack one. If nothing else I have duties to attention so Qrow will show you the way." She informed before turning to walk away before stopping and looking back at Summer with a small smile. "Welcome back to Beacon Miss Rose." She finished before walking away.

When she was out of hearing range, Yang was the first to speak, sounding awed and slightly scared. "Did professor Goodwitch just smile? I didn't think it was possible," Yang said while looking like she saw an exotic animal.

Qrow laughed at that while Summer rolled her eyes, but kept a smile. "Well let's go see my new digs. I wanna see what I have to work with."

"Yea let's go!" Ruby cheered much to the visible disband in Weiss's posterior that was recognized by the Commander.

Summer smile grew just a little as Weiss reminded her of Raven back in their first year of Beacon. If Ruby was anything like herself back then than Weiss wouldn't stand definite for long.

With Qrow directing the group to the staff apartments, Summer was getting more and more of memories flowing through her from her time at Beacon. Plus she was walking the grounds with her daughter's teammates. Right now, the only thing that would make this better if she could receive an update on her ship. Getting an update would really bring her mood up and not knowing was annoying her to no end.

She pushed aside the annoyance for now and focused on the present. Her daughters and their partners were having a silent conversation behind her and Qrow. From the few words, she gathered they were about her and what topics her class will be about. Which was an honest question for sure as Summer had to think of a lesson plan? Summer was a Huntress, an N7 class infiltrator, Alliance officer, and a Council Spector. She had done many things from just the last few years from her chasing rouge specters across the galaxy to taking down Reaper capital ships with rifle sized laser pointers and Thresher Maws. Never had she thought she would stoop down to a teaching teenagers how to fight monsters, where would she start?

The only thing that came close was that apprenticeship she did for Vaga on getting accepted into the N7 program. But even then she didn't do much of anything else other than write performance reviews and evaluate him on where he needs to improve. Doing something similar to a bunch of teenagers? What could go wrong?

They had now entered the building hat held the apartments for the school staff stayed. A three-story apartment-like complex that was on the edge of the campus. Finding Summers new digs were easy to find as it was on the first level down the hall from the front lobby.

Using her new scroll on the electronic lock, the door opened to reveal her new home for the foreseeable future, a big one-room apartment. If Summer had to compare her new place to something familiar, be about the same size as her old room on the Normandy. From the doorway to her right held a small kitchen with a countertop, a fridge, an oven/stove combo, and a microwave. To her left had a door that was left open, revealing a tub with a shower in it with a single sink and toilet. Ahead of them held the living area. A window showing the world beyond, the room's bed-sitting underneath it. Near it sat a brown wardrobe and dresser for storing all her things. A black leather couch next to it facing a TV on the opposite end of the room. Finishing it all off was a work desk next o the TV.

It was a lovely apartment for one person.

"I didn't staff rooms at Beacon were this fancy," Yang commented as she went over and plopped herself on the leather sofa Qrow joining her in a moment. Ruby went and explored the kitchen with her partner Weiss, and lastly, Blake went over and just stood near her partner by the couch. Summer meanwhile was just taking it all in and smiled as she watched Ruby and Yang interact with their partners.

Ruby was running her mouth at what they could make in the kitchen with Weiss looking unamused with a raised eyebrow. But Summer could tell that the white-haired girl was paying attention to the little leader as she went over the possible meals they could make.

Yang was talking with her Uncle and Blake about some shows and events they could do here. Blake just nodded along with her partner. While Qrow just sat there with a flask in hand and smile from his spot on next to Yang.

The overall atmosphere of the room gave Summer something that made her feel more at ease, a feeling of home.

She felt it on the first Normandy with her assembled crew chasing Saren to Ilos. She felt it again when on the second Normandy before entering the Omega 4 relay. Then she felt it when she gathered them all at the party she hosted at her apartment on the Citadel with that big group picture. Now she was getting a bit of that again with her daughters' team and one from her old team.

Getting this feeling gave her both a happy sense of comfort and now a painful concern worry as it because, after each of those times, something big happened. Sovereign's attack on the Citadel, the final offensive against the Collectors, and the Allied fleets of the galaxy closing in to retake Earth.

Feeling this repeating feeling beforehand, Summer kept her concerns to herself and didn't show them outward. She felt something behind the scenes that made her feel like back when Cerberus was funding her efforts on the missing colonists. Meaning something sinister was happening at her old home that was putting her family, and she would be damned to the stomach of Kalross if she wasn't going to let that happened on her watch.

Summer breathed in deep, taking in the sent of her new place, before letting it out with a sigh. That was for tomorrows problem to deal with, right now it was family time.

"Alright, kiddies gather around," Summer announced getting everyone's attention as she went over and sat crisscross on the ground. She waited a moment before Ruby and Weiss exited the kitchen to be with them. "I think now is the right time for me to start again what happened to me, I assumed you two told your partners about me, girls?" Summer looked between her two daughters.

"They have," Blake replied.

"Forgive me, ma'am, if I'm hesitant to believe most of what you say," Weiss told her. "Hearing that my partners' mother was displaced out in space for a decade only to show up out of the blue tends to make it hard for me to believe."

Summer nodded to the teens reasoning. After all, many didn't believe her about the Reapers until they appeared in the galaxy, took Earth, and nearly taken Palivan. "I understand that, Miss Schnee. I was initially going to tell all this to my family but with my daughters bring you and Blake here I might as well fill you in on current events."

Summer than surprised the two new girls by activating her Omni tool. She typed in a few commands on the interface, and a hologram of the galaxy filled the room. Lines and sections of the Milky Way showed the borders of the Citadel races, Systems Alliance, and the Turnamis Systems.

For the next few hours, Summer started telling the four girls and one drunk about the universe. Pictures, videos, and the adventures of Commander Summer Shepard were shown to them.


	7. Chapter 7

"With that matter resolved, I believe that concludes today's meeting, gentlemen," Ozpin said to the Vale Council. "I will see you all at our next assembled meeting two weeks before the start of the festival. Good day."

With that, the Headmaster switched off the live feed and sighed against his chair. The meeting with the council had lasted longer than he initially thought and had left him drained.

Usually, this wouldn't have faced him, but after the elder Rose had told him about the galaxy at large, his mind was overworked.

Another humanity out in the stars that didn't have access to Aura, and are far more advanced in technology than anything the Atlas military holds. Various spices of space-faring aliens that have united and colonized hundreds of worlds across the galaxy.

There were also several problems going on in Atlas, and Qzpin believed it had something to do with how Summer got here.

The Crucible's energy wave.

The red storm that brought her back home seemed to have significant side effects on Renment at large, mostly effecting their military might. Luckily it wasn't anything tragic like the entire Atlas fleet falling from the sky. What did happen was all the new Atlesian knights that were to be produced to the market had all the initial programming been wiped clean suddenly. The Atlas military was in a state of panic as nearly a third of their military force had been suddenly turned off with no idea how to turn back on. He had yet to hear from James on the progress of what's happening but expected an update soon.

In all of Ozma's reincarnations, the man with two souls was at a loss at what to do. He hadn't felt something this mind-shattering since his first reincarnation all those years ago with the Elder Brother.

His mind kept going back to how Summer described humanity among the stars. Did the brothers create them after they left us? And if so, then for what purpose? Questions like this filled his mind and brought significant concerns with it. This new development was undoubtedly something he never foresaw.

Still, with the information that Summer had brought him concerning that they were not alone in the universe, plans began to take shape. Possibilities formed, and questions to ask Summer later were created.

Ozpin leaned back and looked at the stars with renewal interest that began to show up above the setting sun.

"The future is ever-changing as the trees grow around us. With the galaxy soon to open up for us, I wonder how the Kingdomes will react?" Ozpin said to no one before his eyes shifted down towards the last glimpse of the setting sun. "If the enemy found out, I wonder how _she_ will react to this?"

Summer felt a little winded after telling and explaining the four teenagers of the state of the galaxy, with each member having their interests. Blake wanted to know how all the races seemed to coexist. Ruby wanted to know more about N school and what went on there, while Yang expressed an interest in flying through space and exploring the unknowns of space. Weiss too, was interested in the space travel, but that went along with the properties of Element Zero and what it can do.

At that point, Summer displayed her biotic abilities to the group by using a _pull_ on the flask Qrow held aloft in his hand and let the thing float in mid-air. Seeing the looks of wonder was a nice touch. Her three family members then became shocked when she took a big swig out of it.

Summer had stunned them all, Qrow and the sisters, mainly as she emptied the flask in two gulps.

"Aww, an interesting taste there, Qrow. Didn't take you for rum man, I was expecting brandy or scotch, maybe vodka. Although still tastes a little cheep." Summer said then she noted the looks she was getting from her family. "What?"

"Since when do you drink Sum? You've never touched alcohol!" Qrow said with a raised eyebrow.

Summer shrugged her shoulders. "After what I've been through, a cheap drink like that doesn't faze me."

"Cheap?" Qrow said in confusion, making Yang laugh.

"How did you become a Biotic in the first place?" Blake asked.

Summer had to think of the answer before answering, making sure her words were right. "There are several ways for one to gain biotics, all of them risky." She began as she held everyone's attention. "The most common method that is known is it's hereditary, more often from the mother side of the family. Another is if a woman is pregnant with a child and the mother had gotten exposed to Element Zero to which the baby will get exposed as well to the radiation and absorbs it, as an unborn child has little biological resistance to anything. Then later in life, that child will likely display his or her biotic potential. Those are a few of the likely outcomes one gets to become one."

"So what happened that made you become one, mom?" Ruby asked.

The question was a simple one and one she didn't like answering. "Remeber what I mentioned how my first ship ended up destroyed, and I woke up in a hospital bed two years later at a Cerbures base?" She got nods from them and a dark look from Blake and Qrow. She had explained what Cerbures was and what their main goals were. The team was not amused by it. "Well, when I was under the knife, the women in charge thought it would benefit me by turning me into a full useable Biotic. When I learned about this, well, I wasn't pleased, to say the least." Summer said as she crossed her arms.

"Why? It looks like these powers you got are rather useful," Weiss asked.

"In another time, I would say you are right, but in my situation, I had no past training on using them." The comical jaw-dropping looks on all the teams took a lot out of Summer not to laugh.

"They gave you all of this power, and you had no idea how to use it?!" Blake said dumbfounded.

"Yep," Summer nodded.

"That's ridiculous!" Yang said her two cents.

"And this was one of the many arguments I had with Miranda." Summer replied. "She's gotten better, and we've become good friends after a few side missions helping the crew and saving her sister from their evil father after taking him down plus a suicide mission."

"Evil, father?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A wealthy man that had too much money with no morals and looking out for his own interests of preserving his own legacy without any remorse of hurting others to get it done."

"...I believe I may get along with this woman if we ever meet."

"Same," Blake nodded in agreement.

Summer looked at the two with a confused expression and decided to push that topic for later. "Anyway, after a few arguments about my preferred fighting style, I eventually had gotten the right implants for me and replaced some of the ones they had installed. I still have most of the old set in me as they're directly connected to my nervous system, and any surgery on that there is risky."

"So there's no other way of getting that crap out of you without the risk of turning you into a vegetable?" Qrow clarified to which Summer nodded. "Damn, that's rough."

"It's not all bad," Summer said in a relaxed tone. "I still have a bunch of the implants they gave me and received a few pointers on how to use them from some of the Biotic crew members. It's that I don't use them very often in combat as I prefer fighting from a distance and performing hit and run tactics rather than be upfront in into a hand to hand brawl."

"There's nothing wrong with a good braw, I can attest to that," Yang said with a wide smile. Summer looked over at Qrow for answers. He shook, but she could see a small ghost of a smile appear.

"Firecracker took after Tai's fighting style of heavy hand to hand. She displays it well, but her ego still gets ahead of herself at times," he teased much to the annoyed look his niece was giving. Summer smiled at the scene.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Spoke aloud the youngest member of Team RWBY. "Mom, you have been around a bunch of aliens? Do you know any fighting styles you can teach us?" Ruby asked her with sparkles in her eyes. That question brought everyone's attention to the N7 operative.

Summer sat and pondered at that. The request was not unreasonable. While she did prefer range over close quarters, her training had covered more than just sniping enemies at long-range. Her progress to being an N7 and a Council Spector had made her master a few CQC styles that went with her specialized training. There were even moments in time where she fought Thane and learned some of his fighting moves. Hell, even Liara, was trained by her mother's commandos, taught her a few things. "Maybe, we'll see what tomorrow looks like and see what we can do if the school hasn't worn you down too much."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Weiss spoke. "It's the end of the semester, and we finished all our tests earlier this week. So we should be alright for whatever training you have for us."

" Your saying that now, but wait till I have for what's in store," Summer smiled wickedly. Making the teens slightly nerves and getting bark of laughter from Qrow. "Anyway, back to the earlier conversation, Blake. I got the implants for being a biotic Vanguard and could use them to perform all the moves if I was confident in myself to use them correctly. With how busy I've been these last few years, I've hadn't put any attention towards it." That was true. With how busy she has gotten with her recruiting people in stopping the collectors, getting placed under house arrest by the Alliance and helping run the war for survival against the Reapers. Having someone tutor you on how to move things with your mind was not something you could do every day.

"With the war, right?" Ruby asked to which Summer nodded. " Do you think it worked? With the Crucible, I mean."

Summer leaned back and breathed in deep before answering. "I hope to whatever god it did. We invested so much into that thing for it to backfire. Materials, time, ships, and the people to build and defend it..."

"To have all that effort put in only for it to fail on you," Blake finished and shook her head. "I don't even want to think about the consequences of that."

"Well, if how I got here is of any indication, then there's hope..."

A moment of silence was brought up as the girls tried to think about such a war would do. The scale of all the fighting the sister's mother had told them was not something anyone could withstand. Thankfully, Qrow was the one to break the silence.

"Well, all this talking about wars in outer space and aliens has gotten me all tired. I think it's about time we break for some dinner considering the time. " Everyone pulled out their scrolls, and it did show it was now later in the afternoon.

"Wow," Yang said first. "It's almost seven."

"We missed dinner, the school cafeteria should be closing now," Blake pointed out.

"No! Tonight they were serving strawberry shortcake! They only give that out once a week!" Ruby wined.

Summer looked at her daughter and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, it took all day to talk about this, Ruby. Heck, I only told you all the highlighted version of my travels. I haven't even gone to detain on everything that happened with me, and all the other missions I partook just the ones that mattered."

"Will you tell us more if we come by later mom?"

"Sure thing, sweety. But first, let's go find some food. Another thing about being a biotic is that we burn calories at a much faster rate than an average person, so I need to eat more." Summer informed them before the six of them left.

One of the new additions to Beacon, while Summer was out in space, was that the shool's supply shop also included food the students could buy and store in their rooms. The selection wasn't great, but everyone seemed to get what they were wanted. They even have small little cakes that Ruby, herself, and Weiss indulged on. Blake and Yang were snaking on some sandwiches, and Qrow had a bowl of noodles. Summer hummed at feeling the creamy and soft taste of a sugar and cherry jelly in her mouth. With the war and everything, she hadn't indulged in such pleasantries that often, and it usually involved a glass of brandy or other shots of alcohol after a hard mission.

Summer sat with Qrow at one table in silence while the girls sat together at another conversing with each other. Seeing her daughter's team socializing like they are brought a sense of nostalgia to the veteran commander. With her memories restored, Summer kept thinking about team STRQ and all the fun they had back when they were at Beacon. She couldn't believe she was that shy back then. She saw Yang say something to Ruby, and instantly the sister turned as red as the cloak she wore while everyone laughed. Summer smiled as it seems her biological daughter gained that trait from her.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it," Qrow said from his seat.

"Yeah," Summer replied. "God, it seems like forever since we were doing the same at Beacon. Hell, we weren't like this till near the end of the second semester that made Raven open up to us."

"Ha, like how Tai finally getting Raven to agree on a date. That shocked everyone," Qrow said with a smile.

"Or how you and Tai lost a bet to Raven and me and had to walk around during school hours in frilly dresses," Summer added with a snicker.

"Oh god..." Qrow cupped his face with a hand that made Summer laugh. "You just had to bring that out, didn't you? Well, how about when you freaked out about her white cloak being stained with Raven's coffee. I swear I've never seen you angry before or since." Summer had shut her up and gone quiet as she felt her cheeks heat up. "I think that was the only time I've seen Raven looked worried about what you were going to do."

"I think it was after that she started opening up to me more as a friend rather than a partner she was forced to be with," Summer pointed out as she bit into another piece of her cake. Qrow didn't reply back.

Looking over at her old teammate, she saw Qrow look around as if he was looking for someone before squinting his eyes at something. Looking to where he was looking, she saw a couple black colored birds sitting on a nearby power line.

"Just wish she stopped running," Qrow whispered in a low enough tone for only her to hear.

"How did she react to me disappearing?" Asked Summer.

Qrow shook his. "She didn't say anything...she just took the news I gave her and disappeared after that. I hadn't heard from her again for a long while after that." The two sat in silence for the moment as they watch the next generation of huntresses continue to chat idly about things.

"Did she ever...you know...came back at any time to actually visit Tai and them after I was gone?"

From the corner of her vision, she saw Qrow's face darken. "No...and what more, Yang knows the truth about Raven and has gone looking for her on some nights."

Summer eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger as she looked fearful. They had deliberately withheld the truth from Yang. More so as Raven was a touchy subject around Tai as for when Raven abandoned them, Tai locked up and neglected Yang. It's how she became her mother and later being closer to Tai and then having Ruby. "How much does Yang know?" She asked.

"Later, after Yang found out about my sister, I filled her in on everything." Qrow saw Summer's look. "We thought you were dead Sum, and the kid needed to know. She was running herself ragged before I sat her down and had a talk. She still sees you as her mother and doesn't resent you, but she is looking for Raven and wants answers."

"That is not going to go well," Summer pointed out.

"No, it is not..."

"Hey, what guys talking about?!"

Summer let out an unladylike, "Yipe!" And had to stop herself from physically punching one of her loved ones. Before turning and saw Ruby with a big smile on her face. Her older sister and partner laughing at the scene.

"Oh, man, Mom! Ha, ha!" Yang laughed. "I have never seen get that kind of reaction before. "What were you talking about that made you jump scare like that?"

Summer quickly ran through a few things in her head like a Geth hive mind to think of an answer. Luckily, one did that seemed like a good time to ask.

"Well...I was thinking about showing off my the few guns that I have with me later and see how they match up with the ones on Renment." She told them.

"You brought weapons from outer space?!" Ruby squealed. Summer had to blink for a moment as she thought she saw stars in Ruby's eyes.

"Yes?" Summer said unsurely.

Ruby squealed even harder, making everyone around her hunch over from the girl's high pitch voice. Luckily it was Wiess that came to the rescue by bashing her teammate upside the head.

"You dolt! Stop that, or you'll make us all deft!" Weiss shouted at Ruby.

"But, Weiss! Mom! Space guns?!" Ruby tried to plea to her partner.

"That's no excuse for nearly poping our eardrums," The heiress said firmly.

"Anyway," Summer said, getting everyone's attention. "As I was saying, I came back with some of my weapons and wanted to see how they stack up against weapons from Renment. So later either tomorrow or the day after, I'm going to see if I can't compare them."

"Can we come too, Mom?" Ruby begged her mother with pleading eyes. "Please.."

"BOW!"

That was the sound of a gunshot going through Summer's chest at the level of adorableness Ruby was emitting. The N7 Comando and former huntress had to fall back on her training to hold back an "aww" and hug her daughter outright. It was ignoring a cute puppy that just wanted a hug and pushing it aside.

"U-umm, don't you all have classes to attend?" Summer asked with a straight face.

"It's the end of the semester," Yang replied first. "We already finished up classes and will start our break in a few days. The rest is just attendance." She said offhandedly like it was no big deal.

"Which we will attend to gain perfect attendance for this year," Weiss said firmly.

"Whatever you say, Ice Queen." The blond brawler replied with a roll of her eyes. Qrow got from his spot and stretched his arms.

"Welp, I'm off. I've got a few things to take care of. I'll stop by later in the week." Qrow said to everyone before turning and facing directly at Summer with a smile on his face. "It's great to have you back, Summer."

"Great to be back, birdbrain." Summer smiled back.

She watched as her teammate walked off, the smile never leaving Summer's face. She then looked over to her daughter's team. "You girls go along now too. It's late as is, and morning comes early even if classes are almost done."

"Aww, can't we spend more time with you?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, you will soon, Ruby. I'm going to be busy these next few days, and I'm going to be needing some help at the forges." Summer could sware Ruby's eye's nearly popped out of her head when she looked at her.

"You mean..." The young redhead muttered.

"I know about how you made your weapon out of leftover metals out of Iron Thorn, Ruby." She placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and gave a comforting smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you grow and help you build your weapon with you. But that did not stop you from becoming the young woman you are today. Most would take Iron Thorns parts and put them in a display case or toss them out as junk. Not you, instead you honored my memory by reforging Thorn's parts to continue fighting and protect what is precious to me." Tears ran down Ruby's face, along with happy smiles from the other girls from her team. Summer may have laid it on a bit think on her intentions, but this needed to happen. She wanted to let Ruby know that she would _never_ abandon her the same way Raven did for Tai and Yang.

"So, what do you say we get together later and help me make a weapon that would suit a Space Commando like me?" She offered.

Ruby jumped and hugged her mother in a tight grip. Summer expected this and hugged back while feeling the wet tears on her collar bone. For a few moments, it was just the two of them. Then Summer looked at a certain blond with a fierce look, catching the teen off guard with it. "Yang Xiao long, you get over here in this hug right this instant or so help whatever deity you believe I will bend you over my knee and spank you raw in front of Beacon's student body." She threatened as she raises a hand out to join.

The blond hair looked at her in absolute horror before rushing into the hug as well. Weiss and Blake both covered their mouths in an attempt to hide their laughter while Ruby let out few laughs in between sobs.

With each of her daughters in her arms, Summer felt that warm feeling of truly being at home once more.

Saying her goodbyes to her kids and promises to make up for lost time apart. Summer watched as her family left to go back to their dorm. Images of her past with team STRQ and the Normandy crew flew through her mind, the adventures they had together. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the memorable. She had a few damn good rides, great ones, the kind you never forget.

"Now it's your turn to carry the torch..." Summer said in a voice that only she can hear as the four girls walked off. She could tell that they were going to go far and that their journey was only just beginning.

Summer let out an amused snort as she turned around and walked to her new place. Deciding whether or not if she should get in on the action or not. Ha, more than likely, she'd be caught up in it. Maybe she would fall in this time, be a follower and give sage advice to them like Wrex or Samara did for her. That would be a nice change of pace.

Opening up her door, Summer walked in her new place only to stop a few steps in after closing the door behind her.

She had a visitor. One that she knew would come around eventually.

"Been a long time...Summer."

"...Sure has...Raven."


	8. Chapter 8

"You like your doing well for a dead woman, Summer." Raven started as she had her back facing Summer.

"I've been told that before. I always replied that I got better." Summer replied as she takes in the sight of her long lost friend.

Raven chuckled at her quip. The black-haired women turned and augmented silver eyes met soft cold red. Summer began to study Raven's features for the first time in over a decade. Yang had definitely inherited her mother's appearance as Yang really did look like a younger version of Raven, just with her father's colors. Plus, that ridiculously long hair that Yang had obviously inherited from her. Raven wore red and black armor and held a single sword similar to what Summer had seen from Earth's eastern culture and asari commandos.

One of the two newish things about the women was the white bone mass with red markings that she had in her hand that resembled her namesake. And Summer though she grew an extra bust size.

Summer had to not look down at her own breast for comparison. "I would say, how have you been? But I think I'll hold that question time."

Raven smiled. "That hurt Summer, I thought we were friends?" She replied as she started circling me.

Summer started circling, as well. "Why, Raven, have you finally gotten soft while I was away? Didn't think such low-level banter would get to you of all people." Summer mocked.

This made Raven twitch, it was small and barely noticeable, but Summer saw as she stopped at her bed and slowly sat down, but felt something that wasn't on the bed before. Raven had also stopped, which was right at the couch and sat down. Never breaking eye contact. "It doesn't, but it's a little unexpected coming from you, Summer."

Summer decided to start this off. "What are you doing here, Raven? What's this?"

Summer picked up a wrapped brown bag. Raven placed the mask on the spot next to her before leaning slightly forward. "Can't I see an old friend that I thought was dead all this time? And that's just something I found that you left lying around. Really, Summer, you are just careless, especially when leaving something like that around." She teased playfully.

Summer narrowed her eyes at the women. "I know better than anyone that there would be nothing wrong with going to visit people they thought that you were dead. But I thought our friendship meant nothing when you left to lead your old tribe without so much as an explanation. Just there one day and gone the next without a word."

Raven was the first to break eye contact. "You know why, Summer. I didn't want to be part of Ozpin's group."

Summer sprung from her spot and rushed forward, only stopping where Raven sat still at her approach. Stopping only when Summer stood before her. "Then you should have told us, Raven. Told me! Instead of being a great Huntress and proud mother you went back to that tribe full of second and third rate murders that pick off the helpless and steal vital supplies from those in need. Did everything we went through all those years ago mean nothing!" She ranted.

Raven stood up from her spot and got her face directly in Summers. Anger flashed in her eyes. Raven sneered as she tried to say something, but nothing came out as she looked into her former leader's unflinching eyes. Summer stared back, waiting for an answer.

Raven relented under the silver eyes. "Those days meant a lot to me. A lot more...Just what happened to you Sum...you never had this attitude back at Beacon. Hell, I'd probably have more respect for you back then if you did."

"After seeing more abominations and death that would break Ozpin within an hour. Add that with personally killing thousands of people from monsters to indoctrinated soldiers, mercenaries, and murders with my own hands! I know I'm not the hero I thought I was before we graduated..." Summer replied, not denying about what she was.

Raven looked at her with a new light in her eyes. "You have toppled the weak and hurdled the dead..."

"I've hunted demons and killed wannabe gods..." Summer let out a long sigh before stepping over and falling on the couch. Raven wisely sat down gently next to her. "I'm tired, Raven...oh so tired. I felt like I've been fighting for so long that I don't know how to slow down to rest. Then when I'm sitting down, I can barely get back up before going to run off again for the next fight."

"Where did you go, Summer? What turned you into this?" Raven said as she looked at Summer with concern. Something that was a rare sight.

Summer scratched her head in irritation. Just how many times was she going to repeat this? "It is a long tale, Raven, and I doubt you'll even understand it, nor do I believe you will be here long enough to listen to all of it...But a question does come to mind about you."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "And what about me?"

Summer leans forward with an elbow rested on her knee. "Qrow told me he informed you of my disappearance. He then said he didn't hear from you for a long while. Did you go looking for me?"

Raven refused to make eye contact while Summer waited patiently for an answer. Then if felt like Raven was pouring her heart out. "You've done more for me than anyone, Summer. At Beacon, you never gave up on me when I kept pushing you away, trying not to form any attachments to anyone. Even my own brother, my twin, never bothered to get close with me the way you did. Always striking up a conversation and getting me out to town in your attempt to make me open up. Even after Beacon, you stuck by my side... I figure at least finding your body and bringing it home to lay you to rest would be the least I could do." She confessed.

"We were and still are sister, Raven," Summer said as she rested her hand Raven's shoulder, making the women swung her head to the side and looked at her with wide, tearful eyes.

"What...?"

"Even after everything, everything we have both experienced in life. Nothing short of death and memory loss will make me think otherwise." Raven grind her teeth in anger, but her tears still flowed freely.

"You should hate me! For everything I've done!" She yelled at her.

"And what have you done, Raven?" Summer challenged back. "Tell me now because I can tell you this that there isn't anything you've done that I know I can't top."

Raven looked confused at Summer's words. "What are you talking about?"

"I wasn't kidding about being responsible for many deaths, as I said before... but not all of them were guilty."

Raven looked at her with confusion before one of widening realization took hold. "Oh, Summer..."

"And you know what else?" Summer felt her eyes watered while giggling like a trauma victim. "My way...was quick and painless...the alternative? A fate worse than death...or anything Salem could think of." Summer's head fell forward and landed on Raven's chest, sobbing as she let everything out. She felt Raven's arms around her hesitantly.

"Summer?" Raven's voice was filled with worry.

"Just...stay for a moment...will you?" Summer said in between sobs.

Raven stayed quiet as Summer vented a little. A few minutes later, Summer had calmed down. "Better?"

"Much...Thanks." Summer replied as they broke from the hug before the two sat down. "Haven't really had many chances to vent like that."

"It was a decent repayment on my part. You helped me deal with becoming a maiden after all..."

"And kept that secret to just ourselves. Never told Qrow, Tai and especially Ozpin about it. As much as I love the first two and tolerate the third its not my secret to tell." The two stayed quiet for a few more minutes. "If you haven't left, that means you still wanna know what happened to me?"

"When Qrow told me what happened. I tried using my semblance to get to you, but couldn't find you. When that didn't work, I followed the path you took and also came up empty." Summer blinked in surprise as she knew the unique properties of her power.

"Guess that portal making trick of yours has a distance rating..."

"Qrow said he went looking for you and found what was left of your weapon." Raven walked around and picked up the brown bag that was still left on the bed before handing it to Summer.

"This was all I could find from my time searching for you, and I still don't know what happened to you. All I know is that you were gone. Then a few days ago, I felt a familiar tug of my semblance being active and stunned me to the realization that it was you. That's when I saw you later at the hospital in a bed. Knocked out with our daughters standing over you."

"They have grown into wonderful women, haven't they..." Summer said sadly with a smile. Raven chose to not meet her eyes. "She is going to find you one way or another, you know that, right? She inherited her stubbornness from you, you know." Raven audibly sighs and nods her head. "Okay, just making sure."

"Just open the bag already..." Raven commented dryly.

Summer smiled as she knew that she could still get under her partner's skin. Taking the brown bag, she opened it and felt her eyes widen at the white cloth in her hands. "Is this?"

"How Qrow missed this, I will never know," Raven replied. "When I used my semblance to portal to you the first time to search for you, that was the first thing I saw on the ground. It was only a little roughed up and got it patched up in no time. I then spent weeks flying around that area looking for your remains."

Summer only haft listing to her as she unfolded the familiar peace of clothing. "My old cloak..." She said as a seance of nostalgia crept up. During her time away from Remnant, she always felt like something was missing in her life. Taking the top portion, she flipped it up, and over before it settled on her shoulders. Like the last puzzle piece of a puzzle set clicking in place, it felt like she was whole again.

She felt more memories come to her of her early childhood. The one that she always wanted to remember but couldn't. Summer saw when her mother, Ribbon Rose, with near-black hair with blue highlights and wearing a similar blue cloak. Then her Ruby, getting her crimson red cloak from her.

Happier times...

"Summer, your aura is flaring...and something is odd about it."

Raven's words brought Summer out of her mind and looking down at herself. She thought it was her biotics flaring, but it wasn't just that as it would only leave a dark blue corona glow of element zero. She was also glowing white and saw a few white rose petals falling to the ground.

Then there was her feeling her soul for the first time in a decade.

If Summer put it bluntly like she always does, she felt like being hit with the best morning cup of coffee she's ever had along with a dose of adrenalin to top off. It was she was at the top of the world, like being in space for the first time, or when she got her N7 qualification...Or when she took the group photo with her crew.

Tears ran down her eyes again at the thought of them. Did they think she was dead...again? Were they going to prepare another funeral for her? By all that is holy, Summer could only imagen how Garrus and Tali must be feeling. They were like a brother and sister to her, they stuck by her side from the very beginning with the Reaper threat. She missed them...all of them.

"That's new..."Raven commented as she came into Summer's view. "Is this part of the reason you vanished off the face of Remnant?"

"Yeah, it happened while I was away... Why don't we sit down? It's a long story to explain everything, so I'll dumb it down and give you the unabridged version of it, and if there if you have any questions, just ask. I'll explain what I can."

Once more Summer did her long winded, unedited, explanation of her time among the stairs. She didn't hold back on what she did either, even the part where she crashed a small moon against a Mass Relay and obliterating a solar system.

.

* * *

Summer watched as Raven's portal slowly dissipated, leaving her alone once more. It had been a few hours of storytelling again with Summer doing most of the talking. Raven told her it was a lot to take in and needed to head back to her tribe for a bit, so they know she didn't abandon them. A brief thought went through her head of writing down all of her adventures through space was a bit entertaining, and instead of saying everything over and over, she could just write a book and give it to them.

She thought her old partner took the story pretty well all things considered and took a few words with a grain of salt with others. Raven actually looked paler than usual when she was shown the video logs of what happened to the colonists at the Collectors base. She then became in awe of what footage my Omni tool gathered at the final battle to retake Earth. Hell Summer was too. She hadn't even broken those out for herself and her daughters to see. If only she could see the aftermath. Summer would want to know who was left. Bringing up her Omni-tool, she brought up the image of the group photo of the Normandy crew at the party.

There she was, sitting in the middle of the couch with EDI and Joker not paying attention to the camera and focused on each other. On Summer's right with Dr. Chakwas and Samantha to the left with both of them looking at the camera with smiles. Behind her was the rest of the crew in two rows. From the left stood Jack with her arms crossed, trying to look like the bad girl that she once was. Next was her little sister figure Tali with her arms behind her back, looking proud. She had come along way from the young teen on her pilgrimage. Next stood Liara with her arms behind her back with a look of professionalism. Then there stood Miranda, with a small genuine smile that she use to rarely let out. Followed by her shuttle pilot Cortez smiling at the camera. Jacob stood next to him and had a small smile as well. Now stood Ashly, her arms crossed and leaning to the side like she didn't care, but the happy look on her face changed her whole outlook. Then there's the Justicar Samara, her head tilted down, and her hands folded up like she is praying. Then at the end stood the master thief Kasumi, her hand up to her chin with and her trademark smile of mischief.

Behind her in the second row stood Wrex. The old Krogan warlord looked as imposing as he always is. Then there was the last Prothean Javek with his ever emotionless face. Zaeed stood next to him, the old merc had on a neutral look, but Summer could see the slight curve in the corner of his lips. Then there was James Vaga, standing at attention with his arm up in a salute like a soldier he is. Followed by the rebel Turian vigilante that she calls a brother Garrus, trying to not look important while in the background, and failing in Summer's opinion. Lastly, there was her loveable tank bread Krogan, Grunt looking off to the side when the picture was taken.

Summer smile at them all before looking down at the bottom of the picture where the coffee table stood with four picture frames stood on it. Each represented a friend lost, Morden, Thane, Legion, and lastly, Kaiden. She set them up so they could be in the picture as well as they were part of the crew even if they are no longer around.

Looking over the functions of her Omni-tool was her personal distress beacon. She had yet to activate it as she was conflicted about some of the consequences of doing so. One was exposing her world to the galaxy that just came out of a war like no other. Two were the technology involved in the other races. Each was reliant on Element Zero, and no doubt if Remnant were exposed to it, then it would follow the same path the Reapers would want them.

Three, would she have to leave her family?

It was that questioning that stayed her hand in activating her distress beacon. She would over to go back to the Normandy, to see her crew and friends from all corners the galaxy again. To see peace between all the species.

Then again, she was in unexplored space. How long would it take for a ship to pick up her beacon? Months, years, more? She could live out her whole life before someone could come around and investigate her signal. She then remembered what that Major back in Londen said to her, she was a hero to many and thought profoundly of her. Could she give them all up, and for what, for the chance of solitude? For alone time with her family.

Then an idea occurred, she wasn't as tech-savvy as Kasumi or Tali, but she could modify the signal. "You know what? Fuck it." Summer declared.

**Distress Beacon activation: [Yes]/No**

"There it's done...Hopefully, they get here without too much of a problem. It is not like I don't want to leave, but I don't want to do another two-year disappearing act on either. I just hope they are all right." Summer switch of the Omni-tool and sigh. It would be sometime before they could pick it up, but she could wait. The signal that she used instead of the general distress was meant only for her crew to find. She didn't want just anyone to locate her like pirates and undesirable smugglers. But the Normandy is her ship, and her team had followed her to hell and back many times. Who knows when they'll get here and no doubt they will have questions for her.

Summer will not hide from them. For she needed to know if the sacrifice they made in retaking Earth and firing the crucible was worth it. But she wasn't willing to expose Remnant to the galaxy, not yet. The cultural shock of it all would be a lot to handle, and panic would set in. Thus the Grimm would come in at the kingdomes in swarms, and she was not going to allow that to happen.

Summer looked down at her white cape then over at her broken N7 armor that was off to the side. She felt tired, but her mind was still going and needed an outlet to calm herself. She pulled out the fabricator function on her Omni-tool and went down to work. She needed to be at her best for later and needed to look proper for her daughters. Can't be the badass mother to her family if she doesn't look the part.

.

* * *

Summer walked across campus and silently took in all the turn heads from students that she was getting. She was used to the attention by now, being the first human Spector and the most recognizable women in the Alliance. But still, it always amuses her at some of the expressions she received from people. Thou she suspected it was for different reasons than her reputation from the Citadel.

_'Maybe they were confusing her with my little Ruby?' _Summer thought as it made the most sense.

Summer had received a text on her new scroll from Ruby this morning about where to meet up later after classes have ended. Turned out to be the schools firing range at the edge of the grounds. Meaning that her little rose couldn't wait for her weapons demonstration.

Good thing, Summer was ready to give one. She had been working on her armor and finished repairing the cracks in the arm guards last night. This morning after breakfast, she had quickly put back together with her chest piece but found that it had more internal structural damage, so she had to sacrifice one of her shoulder pad for components to fix it. The next thing she did was her leg pieces, they were the easiest to fix as it was just exterior damage that didn't hurt her performance. Summer then had the small visor, which Garrus gave her that time together on the presidium. She put it on her brow. The tiny needles came out and punctured the skin, connecting to the nerves so it will help you with your aim. Suddenly the blue visor came down over her right eye. Sumer thought for a moment and pulled the thing back off. She was in the middle of a school and not a battlefield, she'd save it for any missions lined up later. With her armor all done, she tossed her white cloak onto her shoulders and turned to the bathroom mirror.

And she liked what she looks.

The dar gunmetal gray N7 armor seamed to color clash with her old white Huntress cloak. Summer saw that, but the red stripe of her right shoulder and arm and the red interior made it work. The armored shoulder pad stood out a bit, but her cloak was moved behind it, making it look more like a swirling cape. Thou Summer was against it, she reached out and removed the armored piece and let her cloak drop down on her shoulders evenly. As for her weapons, she sat the Carnifex on her usual spot for a heavy pistol. As for her Lancer, instead of putting it in her usual slot on her back, she sat it where a shotgun was usually placed.

For the end result, it was like a bit of her old Huntress life mixed in with N7 status. It felt great having her families cloak on over her battle-tested armor. Summer wondered how her daughters would think of her look?

Walking to the entrance of the range, she saw Ruby and Yang with their respected partners doing some ideal chatter. They didn't notice Summer's approach, and she couldn't wait to see their reactions.

"This is going to be fun," Summer murmured with an amusing grin.

.

* * *

_Happy N7 day to all that are reading this duel update on "The girl with the big iron on her hip" & "The Summer Reaper."_

_Thank you all for sticking with this story and my other story and hope you engoy the crazyness that comes out of my mind in future chapters. _

Helljumper206-See you all over the web!


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry that it took me forever to get this chapter up. I've been helping another writer with editing his stories. I got so engrossed in them that I was neglecting mine in turn. But I still gave it my all. Go check out "_The smuggler Faunus_"** **and "_Halo Combat evoled: Ruby Rose new Journy_." By _All hail Lord Megatron._ The guy has great story ideas but needed help, so I'm helping him with a few stories and practicly became a co-athor in writing them. To me his stoires are like building foundations with a few struts and support beams while I put in the rest in adding details with the walls and roof. The stories are not perfect but they are a far cry from what they were before. **

**That was all enjoy :)**

* * *

"Ruby, for the last time, behave yourself," Weiss schooled her team leader for the umpteenth time. Weiss rubbed her head of the small migraine she had as this had been repeating this occurrence on seance Ruby got a reply from her mother, Summer. Ruby asked her f she could show her the weapons she used while she was out in space and agreed on a demonstration. Her team leader became so excited that the whole team left to witness the little presentation. Ruby even had them bring their weapons to showcase the veteran huntresses for her approval.

Thou she will not admit it. Wiess was still a little hesitant to believe elder Rose's story about being out in space. Atlas had not been able to go to outer space due to Dust not being able to work outside Renmant's atmosphere. It's why any space program that's developed always falls shot due to such limits. With few finding alternative solutions other than Dust thanks to backroom business owners like her father. Any hope of such a thing like space travel is considered science fiction.

"Let her have her moment, Ice Queen." The resident team's blond brawler commented. "Once Ruby gets going on about weapons, then nothing short of several plates of cookies or something else that is important will distract her," Yang said.

The four stood by the entrance of the school's shooting range. An arrangement of fields that any weapon could use. From pistols, shotguns, and sniper rifles to heaver weapons like missile launchers and grenades. It was everything a school that trains warriors needs for target practice or testing weapons.

"So when's mom going to be here anyway?"

"How bout you try looking at your six little Spitfire." The four turned to the voice only for the sister to gasp in shock while their partner's jaws dropped.

There walking towards them was the mother they had been waiting for to show up. But that wasn't what they were staring at; it was what the Huntress was wearing. For Weiss, Summer Rose was wearing black body armor that would be better suited for Atlas Specialist like her sister. Blake eyed the women's armor as she saw it's battle-worn and tested plates, showing that she wasn't new to a fight.

Ruby and Yang were getting flashbacks to their childhoods as they saw the white cloth on their mother's shoulders. Of the last time, they saw Summer before leaving on her final mission and watching her whiter cloak disappearing in the distance. Seeing Summer wearing it was like getting their souls slapped. Ruby felt a strange joy seeing her mother wear it. Yang not as much as her sister.

"Mom? Where did you get your cloak?" Yang asked as she stared at her mother.

"And where did that armor come from?" Weiss asked as she walked over and began examining it up close, much to the women's amusement.

Summer was happily ready to provide answers. "Well, what I have on is a custom set of armor made of thick interlocking plates of ablative ceramics I've got from various purchases, this particular set I have worn into combat for the last several months. " Summer answered the heiress question before shifting her eyes towards Yang. "As for my old cloak, a certain bird brain left it with a note on it." Summer saw Yang narrow her eyes slightly at that before going back to normal.

"So who wants to shoot some guns today?" Ruby started waving her hand in the air like an eager child. Weiss rolled her eye, and Blake and Yang smiled at the sight. Summer just looked amused, seeing her daughter like this. From what she could gather, Ruby was a gun nut.

"Should have seen that coming, should I?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Yang said playfully.

Summer shook her head at her eldest daughter's answer. "How about this?" She said, gaining the four girls' attention. "I see that you girls also brought some of your gear with you. How about I demonstrate either one of my guns or abilities that I've picked up over time and one of you show me something in return? I am, after all, going to be a teacher for the coming semester, so it stands to reason that I will need to know what you all can do. Sound fair?"

The request made Ruby very happy. "Sure thing, mom! Look, I've even brought out Cresent Rose!"

Summer blinked in surprise as Ruby drew out a big red box from her back. Now the Commander had seen all kinds of weapons from all across the galaxy. From elegant and artistic guns the Asari produce. To the bulky and crewed, the Krogan slap together on the spot. Granted, she felt a bit of inner turmoil of awe and intimidation when she saw the box form out into a giant scythe bigger than the child that wielded it, made her small innocent daughter look as dangerous as a Krogen Warlord with a war hammer.

It took a lot out of her right then not to burst with tears of pride for her daughter.

_Remnant's weapons sure have advanced while she was away. _Summer thought as she looked at the reforged weapon of the parts leftover from her Iron Thorn. "May I?" She asked.

Ruby slowly handed her oversized weapon to her. Summer felt the wight fall into her hands and felt a small, if a lack of a better word, '_pulse_' from it. A feeling she often got after seeing her old friends after she was back from the dead. It was the same thing now. She was once again meeting an old friend. Sure it looked different, but the presence of metals formed into a new shape was still there. Shifting the scythe around in her hand, she gave it a once over and gave it a slow twirling rotation. To the Commander's surprise, despite the large blade at the end, it felt perfectly balanced.

"Wow, and I was told you made this?"

"That's right!" Ruby replied with a happy nod. "When Uncle Qrow showed me the remains of Iron Thorn for the first time, I was determined to rebuild her better than ever!"

"And instead of making a claymore sniper rifle like it was initially, you formed the unholy union to make a demon love child of a high powered firearm and an old gardening tool? I'm very proud of you, Ruby. " Summer said, making her daughter smile brightly.

Summer handed back the sniper scythe to Ruby and stepped up to firing range before turning around and facing the kids. "Alright, let's get started with this demo." She reached for her hip and pulled out her pistol and let it unfold in her hand. Ruby took one look and was instantly in love with it, along with Blake showing interest as well in the little hand cannon. Weiss looked at the weapon with some curiosity while Yang looked indifferent and just smiled.

"This is the M-6 Carnifex. It's a favored sidearm of mercenary leaders and mercenary tech specialists. An expensive but powerful weapon found on black markets and great against armored opponents." Summer went up to the target control panel, started pooping up targets at thirty yeards, and aimed her Carnifex.

Summer fire several shots in from the hand cannon with controlled fire. She regarded the hight recoil of it felt against her hand was kicking in the years of training she had as she watched as her targets came apart. After about thirty destroyed targets, she lowered her heavy pistol and turned back to the girls that were watching her. Summer had managed to gain more interest out of Blake and Weiss as their eyes seemed glued to the gun with their minds working. Yang's head tilted to the side like a confused puppy while her sister looked like a happy puppy that got a dog treat.

"Wow! Hom many rounds does it shoot? Can it transform into anything?" The questions asked by Ruby shot off one after the other.

"No, Ruby, it doesn't change into anything else. But it does have options in terms of ammunition types." Summer activated her Omni-tool over the gun, and a blue hologram appeared over the barrel. She then fired several shots, each coated in a blue glow. The targets that got struck ignited with blue arcs of electricity danced around where the rounds impacted. Before the girls could speak, Summer waved her Omni-tool over the gun again, turning hologram from blue to white. More shots went out and hit more of the targets downrange, turning several of them into ice sculptures. Summer finished her small demo and turned back to the four stunned girls. "As you can see, with '_Mass Effect_' technology within it, I can mod my shots with cryogenic properties, electric currents, set enemies on fire. If you have the right modifications for your particular fighting style, you can cause a lot of damage to your opponents."

"Wow!" Ruby said in awe.

"Wait a sec," Weiss cut in before her team leader could say anything. "You were firing a lot of rounds just now and haven't reloaded once. Just how many shots can that thing fire before you have to reload?"

Summer smiled at the white-haired teen. She wanted to get technical with her tech. "The shots fired from my pistol are the size of a grain of sand." The girls looked at her in surprise. "They are shared of a mental block that's inside the gun and fires it down a set of railgun coils and is propelled at a high extream rate of speed. Depending on the block 's size inside the gun and what the current mission being, you could go through whole missions without ever having to reload. At least till the ammo block is all used up." Summer flipped the gun around and held it by the barrel with the handle towards the Hairless.

Wiess hesitated for a moment but relented and took hold of the gun. She held the Carnifex loosely in her hand.

"Go ahead. Pop off a few shots. See how it feels," Summer said to the Schnee.

Weiss noded and resed the hand cannon and fired a few shots. She was surprised by how heavy the recoil of the gun was against her hand. But the Heiress kept the gun firmly in her hand as she didn't want it to go flying out and away from her. "It certainly has a bit recoil then I thought it would have."

Summer chuckled as she watched Weiss hands it over to a vibrating Ruby to try. After Ruby, Blake and Yang try it out the Carnifex pistol.

"It's not a bad little gun you have, Mom," Yang commented before she handed the hand cannon back to its owner.

"It's a pretty useful little weapon. Excellent as a backup for when you have a sizeable opponent ready to come at you."

"Are backup weapons very common in the galaxy?" Blake asked. The N7 Commander nodded.

"Most defiantly," Summer replied. "It's pretty mandatory for most. I always have my teammates carry at the very least two weapons that they are most suited to their fighting style." Summer then noticed that about the girls. "Now that I think about it, girls do any you have more than one weapon that you train with other than the ones I see?"

The girls gave each other some confusing looks before looking back at the veteran Huntress. Ultimately it was Yang that spoke. "Why do we need a backup weapon? Our weapons, Aura, and super cool Semblances gives us all we need."

Summer couldn't help but stare weirdly at her daughter for a moment before realization kicked it. She smacked a hand to her face as more memories of the lessons she went through growing up. Along with how they seemed to counteract some of the things the galaxy has taught her the past decade.

"Whelp, that is going to change around here." The all-girl team looked at the Huntress with varies stages of confusion. "When I go to hit the school forges with Ruby on recreating my old weapon, you all are going to be making new weapons to act as backups to your pre-existing ones."

"Excuse me, but we are perfectly fine with what we have," Weiss said firmly.

"Says the girl that got disarmed by a Boartusk on the first day of school," Blake commented.

Weiss became red-face at the remark. "That was a musculation, and I won that fight."

"To which that proves my point. Had you been facing more than one opponent or were not in a position to retrieve your weapon in time, then we would not be speaking today, Miss Schnee." Summer told her. Making the platinum blond blush in embarrassment. "Look, think of this as a new experience and like I said. It will be a backup weapon, not your primary weapon. Something that will be with you if you're in a pinch and get you out alive."

"...I understand, Professor," Wiess said with some reluctance.

Summer waved her hand over in annoyance. "Just Summer while at out of class Miss Schnee. I never thought I would be a school teacher in my life. I'm instigating this just because I want you all to succeed in life and not be cut short."

"We know Mom. The next thing we expect is you forcing us into armor next," Yang said half-heartedly. But her attitude changed when she saw Summer looked interested in her comment. "That was a joke, Mom."

Summer's back suddenly stiffens straight at the mention of those words. Much to Team RWBY's confusion.

_"That was a joke."_

_'Oh shit! EDI!' _Summer had forgotten about her. When she decided her choice on destroying the Reapers and the crucible fired her off back to Remnant. It wiped out all synthetic life that is currently in the galaxy like the Geth, but that would also mean she killed EDI!

"Mom, are you ok?" Ruby asked, bringing her out of her mind boggle of how she just now realized she killed a friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Ruby. I just realized something important that I forgot till now." Summer replied.

"Did you remember something, are you getting more memory flashes?" Yang said in a worried tone.

"No, it is not that. But it is something that I'm going to have to face later." _One that I am not going to look forward to confronting with Joker. He and EDI were just getting along and thinking about a possible relationship. One that I just killed off. _"Don't worry about it, Yang. Now, where were we?"

* * *

Qrow stood in silence as the elevator went up the Beacon tower. Ozpin had summoned him for that concerned Summer. The Branwen twin felt like something new was going on, and with the Vytal festival around the corner, he could only think what Summer was going to get mixed up.

The elevator doors opened and to reveal Ozpin's office. With the man himself standing at the window and

"You called Oz?"

"Qrow, thank you for coming on short notice." The man said as he turned to him.

"What's happening, Ozpin. Your message said it was about Summer?" Ozpin nodded as he took a seat at his desk.

"Correct. I assume that Summer has told you all about the events that she took among the vast star ocean above us?" He asked.

Qrow nodded his head. "She gave her daughters' team and me an unabridged version and several highlights of her adventures."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow slightly at the news. "The rest of team RWBY knows? Well, that should be expected from one of the top first-year teams. I've seen them grow closer as a team and can't wait to see what the future has in store for them."

The drunken Huntsman narrowed his eye at the old wizard. "Oz, you know my warning. Also, neither Tia and especially Summer would not be fond of any backroom plans you have like you did for my team," he warned.

Ozpin raised his hands in mock defense. "And indeed, I do not, lest I fear Summer's anger. The wrath of a mother is not something I want to envoke."

"Glad we're on the same page. Summer told her story to you?"

"Indeed. What Summer went through is something very few could endure. With the knowledge that we are no longer alone in the universe confirmed by Summer, we need to prepare for whatever outcome of arrival we may perceive, whether it be good or bad." Ozpin explained.

"What? Like some kind of planet-wide invasion?"

"Possibly," Ozpin said before taking another sip from his mug. "But I hope that is not the case. Summer explained several factions that are out in the galaxy that we should keep an eye out. These groups have me worried should they ever come to our world, as they possess technology that would rival the full might of Atlas's military fleet in a straight fight."

"Which not all the kingdomes have access to." Qrow saw where this is going. "Have you warned the others about this?"

Ozpin shook his head. "For now, I'm keeping things close to my chest. The attack on Amber and much of the power of the Fall maidens stolen. As of now, only the two of us, Glynda, Taiyang, and now team RWBY, knows of Summers trip to the stars. General Ironwood is on his way from Atlas with his students for the Vytal Festival. I will let him in on this development when he arrives." Qrow narrows his eyes.

"Jimmy is coming here? Away from his high tower in the sky," he said. Ozbin nodded. 'Well, this should be interesting."

"Indeed."

"So what other threats should we be worried about that may come fro above Summer's storytelling?" Qrow asked his old boss.

Ozpin locked his eyes with the elite Huntsman. "Summer said shes' dealt with the Reaper threat, but with the possibility of the galaxy opening up to Remnant would cause a lot of shocks and in turn, will cause a panic which will..."

"...attract Grimm." Qrow finishes off.

"To also which will gain** her** attention," Ozbin said.

Qrow bit back a curse as Ozpin kept talking. "We know that her followers may be operating within the city. If news of galaxy we're in and of current galactic events are any indication, we need to be ready for the possible outcome of Salem trying to manipulate them to side."


	10. Chapter 10

Summer shifted in her bed with an absurd amount of annoyance. Opening her eyes, she glanced over at her alarm clock and saw it was still too early for her to be up. She shifted more in her bed before coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to get any more sleep.

Sitting up and getting off the bed, she bent her back backward and got an energetic '_pop_' from it. Heading to her bathroom, she did her morning hygiene ritual by filling up her sink before dunking her head in to wake her up properly. Now, most people would find this a weird way to wake up as people usually wake up with a pot of coffee. But then this is Shepard they were talking about or Rose now. Summer still had to figure that out.

Rubbing her face to get rid of the sand out, she brushed her teeth before heading to her dresser. Picking out a set of gym clothes, a gunmetal gray sweatshirt and blue shorts she made for the front door. Lastly, she had on a pair of running shoes. She had made a trip to Vale after the weapon demonstration with her daughters' team. Ozpin had been generous in giving her some money to start herself off within getting herself prepared. Ruby and Yang had shown her a few places and pretty much had a family outing and dinner.

It was bliss.

Summer had wanted to know everything she missed with her family. The good and the bad. She cried at the hardships they had to endure, and Summer will have words the next time she sees Taiyang. Drinking heavily while trying to take care of two young girls was no excuse, in her opinion, even if everyone believed she was dead.

While they shopped for clothes, Ruby dragged her over to the Dust shop, where she stopped a dust robbery that got her recognized by Ozpin and got into Beacon two years early. Only into mid-teens and already beating the bad guys. She felt so proud of her daughter. She was positive that if Wrex met her daughter, he'd asked her to come to join clan Urdnot. Hell, both Ruby and Yang, would catch the old Warlord's attention once he learns that I've got kids.

Summer also went and splurged on a few weapon parts to add to weapons. Most of it for when she remakes her Iron Thorn , as her daughter calls it, but she did find a red dot scope that was perfect for fitting onto her Lancer.

Walking out of her place, she proceeded to leave the apartment building. It was still early as the sun had not yet risen, and the air was cold, yet refreshing. Breathing in the free air, she proceeded over to a nearby grassy area and started doing some warmup exercises.

She did a series of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges and stretches to get her body core temperature up. After doing three reps of everything she made for the sidewalk and started a nice steady pace jog. By the sun had begun to peak over the horizon.

As she runs, Summer began to wonder what her crew would think if they found out she had a family. Joker would only take one look at Ruby and wonder if Cerberus made another clone of her. Karin would be like a grandma to her two girls. Wrex and Grunt would want to see how tough Yang is, Summer's money would be on her daughter. After which Wrex would probably want to test her with a rite to be an honorary Krogan. Tali would be like an older sister to them and could see getting along with Ruby. Garrus would more than likely be speechless at seeing her family, right before having a friendly sniping competition of who's the better shot with her youngest. Both Jack and Miranda would shake their heads in disbelief. Jacob would joke that the galaxy is doomed now that there are more "_Shepards._" The rest would take it in stride.

After nearly an hour by her estimates and several laps around Beacon, Summer had built up a decent sweat. Looking around, she saw a few students milling about the campus, either doing their morning workout or going somewhere else.

With her workout complete, she did some cool-down stretches to avoid cramps that would pop up later. It wasn't long till she was back in her apartment, taking a nice hot shower. With that done, she looked at the time again and found it was nearing eight in the morning.

"I wonder what they have for breakfast at the cafeteria? I certainly could go for some scrambled eggs. Thou they probably won't be as good as Vega's." Summer threw on a plain t-shirt and skinny jeans and grabbed her scroll before heading out.

About halfway through the school, she was starting to regret her decision on breakfast.

As soon as she left for the school's cafeteria, she felt many eyes land on her. Now, typically Summer would be used to having many eyes on her. Mainly due to her being the first human Spector, coming back from the dead, and spearheading the war against the Reapers.

The young hormonal teens that were eye-fucking her as she walked by really made her wish brought a gun with her. Plus, it wasn't just guys; there were also a few females that stopped and stared too.

_Maybe I'm just too good looking? _ Summer thought in dismay. _I hope to god none go up to me and flirts with me. Otherwise, to partially steal a quote from Liara, I'll hit them with a biotic wave so strong they'll won't be enough left to fit in a glass._

It was then she entered the cafeteria, and as Summer approached the lunch line. The N7 didn't even need to look as she could feel the growing number of eye sets landing on her. A few with lest the noble intentions.

_Damn it,_ Summer silently cursed both her augmented beauty and teenage hormones. _How does Goodwitch deal with this? The woman uses a riding clop for a weapon and beats me by a full cup size in the chest department. _

Summer grabbed her a lunch tray and filled it with eggs, bacon, French toast, and two cartons of milk. After swiping her scroll at the check out for payment is when she saw her daughters' team enter the cafeteria and were quick to spot her. Ruby was ready to run up and greet her.

"Morning, Mom!" Ruby greeted as the team walked up to her.

"Good morning Ruby," Summer replied as she one-arm hugs her daughter. "You all doing alright this morning?" She asks the team.

"For the most part," Weiss replied first as they head towards an empty table and sit down. "Ruby kept us up last night with her brainstorming ideas on weapons for each of us." Summer raised an eyebrow at her youngest as the younger redhead looked sheepishly away.

"Alright, and did you all get a final verdict, or is it still up for debate?"

"We're still uncertain on a few things about the idea, mainly what would go with our individual styles of combat," Blake answered next, getting nods of agreement from everyone.

"Yeah, we're so used to fighting like we are now that, and we've only recently started covering fighting like a team. In the end, we were wondering if maybe you might have an idea, Mom?" Yang finished.

Summer threw a strip of bacon in her mouth as she hummed in thought on the subject. "Go grab your breakfast and let me think about this for a minute."

The girls did so and allowed Summer a moment to think as she chewed on another bacon strip. Her mind thinking about the team RWBY's individual styles. After viewing their weapons at the demonstration, they each gave a description of their fighting methods and semblances.

Ruby, by far, has the most intimidating weapon of the four. Against non-Grimm, opponents would hesitate for a before committing to any action, due to its size and shape. Plus, it also gives her a range advantage over her peers with Crescent Rose's sniper configuration. For long and mid-range firefights, Ruby would be able to hold her ground. It's scythe shaped blade is unique, and if Qrow was the one that trained her, then it will be able to slice through Grimm that come close to her. But she will like to see Ruby in combat to see how she stacks up to stress.

From Summer's point of view, Weiss would benefit the most with an extra weapon. That reaper was great with precision work, and its revolving Dust chambers gave her a variety of combat options when combined then with her glyphs. She is a close-range fighter that wouldn't stand up against armored opponents and enemies at range.

Blake was confusing her somewhere fierce with her weapon. A ballistic chain scythe pistol and cleaver that doubles as a sheath. The N7 had little to say about it and kept her opinions about its function and design to herself. With its blade folding back to reveal a pistol underneath gives a surprise factor. Like Ruby, Summer would have to witness her in combat to better gage her combat prowess.

Now then, there was her firecracker. Yang took after Tai's brawling techniques rather than her mothers' lightning-fast swordsmanship style. With her strength, her shotgun gauntlets, and semblance to take hits that make her stronger to dish back at opponents made Yang a major powerhouse. Get her mad, and then you'll have a berserker, utterly devastating anyone in close combat.

By then, the teen team came back with their food and started their meals. "So mom, what you got for us?" Yang asked before taking a spoonful of eggs.

Summer ate another spoonful of eggs herself before answering. "Without having seen you all in a combat situation, I can't really judge you on what would suit each of you best. I'll save it for later when classes start and see you all in action myself. Afterward, we'll put our heads together to figure that out. In the meantime, focus on your studies and get ready for the coming semester," she finished before drinking her milk.

"So, are we all still meeting up at the school forges later?" Blake asked while she goes and eats her muffin.

"Not if you don't want to. We are going to be there for a while," Summer informed them, much to Ruby's slight displeasure.

"Then will wait until we can reach a verdict on what to get," Yang finished.

The rest of breakfast was filled with small talk about the coming semester as well as filling in the elder Rose about several mishaps in the previous semester. One of which caught the Commander's attention.

"So let me get this straight," Summer said as she possessed what she heard. "This guy, Cardin had been bulling your buddy Jaune since the beginning of school got pinned and almost got killed by an Ursa Major. Only to be saved at the last second by the guy he was bullied to same his ass and cuts the Ursa's head off with a single sword swing?"

"I was indeed surprised by his actions. There may be more to him than I thought," Weiss admitted.

"Does that mean you'll give Vomit boy a chance then next time he asks you out?" Yang teased, making the two Roses laugh at the deadpan look the Schnee sent the blond.

"Not on his life," The heiress replied.

"Not on who's life?"

The group turned to four individuals as they sat with the commander and team RWBY. Summer took note of the four individuals. The first is a male blonde wearing a hoodie with white plated armor. The next, a crimson redheaded girl with an outfit that reminded Summer of earth's ancient Spartans. Followed by a gingered hair girl with a smile that made her look like a maniac. Lastly was a male boy wearing a green robe and has a pink strand of hair on his head.

"Who's this?" The blond asked.

"Hey, Jaune, guys! Meet my Mom," Ruby introduced.

The four looked over at the N7 officer for the first time with several degrees of shock as the blond, and the ginger did double-takes as they looked between her and Ruby.

"Wow, Ruby. I can see where you get your looks from. Hi there. My name is Jaune Arc," he introduced himself.

Realization kicked in. "This is the guy that saved the school bully from the giant bear?" Summer said aloud as she looked between Ruby and the boy. The blond now Jaune, looked at Ruby in surprise.

"You told your Mom about the Ursa?!" He said as he looked at Summer as she gave a nod of confirmation.

"Yes, and I, for one, commend you on such an act. Not many would rise above and block an attack meant for someone that was your tormentor at school." The woman replied, making the blond kid blush. Summer felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket, causing her to take it out and seeing the message from Ozpin. Scanning through the text made her frown on the inside. "Anyway, as much as I wanna stay here and trade more stories with you all, Ozpin just requested to meet with him in his office."

"Tell him your busy with family matters!" Yang said, making Summer giggle.

"I'll keep that excuse in mind for next time," she replied. "I'll message Ruby when I'm done with the great and powerful Oz." With that, she waved goodbye and headed for his office."

When they were out of her sight, Summers's happy demeanor became neutral as she walked towards Beacon tower, where Ozpin was waiting for her.

"Wonder what the old man wants?" Summer commented to no one as the elevator doors opened, revealing the familiar forms of Goodwitch and the old Wizard.


	11. Chapter 11

Ruby breathed in the familiar scent of fresh smelted steel as she and her sister Yang walked into Beacons forgery. Inside, the leader of team RWBY smiled at all the dozens of Kilns, Anvils, smelters, and whetstone wheels were placed all around the room.

Ruby liked this room. She'd come here nearly every weekend to work on Crescent Rose. It would have been every weekend if not for her partner/best friend, Weiss, and her sister.

Sadly, not everyone was into weapons like she was, and thus the Forges were often left in the bitter cold. Only ever being used if a student's weapon was either damaged and needed a replacement part or destroyed and needed to be replaced. It was quite sad that students didn't think of improving their gear over time.

Ruby had ideas of improving her sniper scythe when she gets the chance. One was to see if she could add a rotating system to the blade of the scythe, having it rotate in a full 180-degree motion to allow her better usage in close combat. She would have added this already but hadn't figured out how to do it properly without making a mistake, like the whole blade snapping off in the field while battling off a big Grimm.

Walking over to one of the workbenches, she started to make herself at home while she waited for her Mom to arrive. While setting up shop, her mind wandered to the reason she was in the schools' Forges.

She was helping in rebuilding her mother's weapon, Iron Thorn. "Oh! This is so exciting!" Ruby squealed.

Yang gave a little laugh at her sister's adorable attitude. "This is usually the part where I tell you to settle down sis, but I feel a little hyped up as well."

Yang decided to tag along, wanting to spend more time with the woman that called her mother. Ruby was too young to remember much of Summer, but the blond did, and she cherished those memories. Often more than once sitting down somewhere and reminiscing them over the years.

Now Summer was back, and they were trying to do things in an attempt to make up for the time lost. Yang wasn't about to let something like this pass.

"You know it still seems unreal that Mom's back. But there have been times where I felt like she was still with us, you know?" Yang said.

"I know what you mean..." Ruby replied.

The redheaded teen looked back under her red cloak, where Crescent Rose hung in its storage form. Her weapon recycled and remade from what's left of Mom's old claymore sniper. It had taken her months of planning out her weapon and weeks' worth of effort to temper, oxidizes, and refuse the Dust in the metals of Iron Thorns remains back to working conditions for Crescent Rose. At first, she thought about remaking the Claymore gun sword configuration back to its former glory. But she shot that idea down after a talk with her uncle about the weapon should reflect them. With how much Ruby missed her mother at the time and want to be just like her. She would reforge Iron Thorn to reflect her ideas of how she would protect those closest to her.

"Lin, for your thoughts?" A quiet voice asked.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The teens spun around, surprised to see their mother appeared suddenly. She wore a bemused smile on her face as she looked at her.

"Mom?!" They said together.

"Daughters," Summer replied playfully. "Thank you for coming, are you alright? You both looked like you were deep in thought." She asked as her expression changed to one of concern.

"I'm fine mom," Yang waved it off.

"Just thinking up ideas of what we could upgrade Iron Thorn with," Ruby replied, a bright smile adorn her face.

"Alright, keep your secrets, but if you ever need to talk, my door is always open," Summer was unconvinced, but she let it go for now.

Ruby smiled at the interaction she was now having again with her mother. She had longed for this feeling for most of her life and missed her mother dearly while Yang felt her chest being lighter and filled with a warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Welp!" Summer said, getting the girl's attention. "I'm a little rusty with making weapons, but I hear through the grapevine that your the progeny of all things weapons-related." The Commander looked at the younger redhead. "Think you can help me, Corporal Rose?" She asked with the last bit of teasing tone in her voice.

Ruby beamed a smile and saluted, "Yes sir!"

"Ruby... That's the wrong arm," the elder rose said as she tried with all her might not to laugh at the face, the younger Rose was making. "Anyway, let's get started with a blueprint first. Can't just go in this blind without a plan."

"Um, I've got that covered already," Ruby said to the surprised Summer and Yang as she reached in her bag that she brought with and pulled out a big rolled-up sheet of paper and rolled it out for the older women to see. Summers's and Yang's eyes looked over the paper for barely a second pass before their eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"Sis, where did you get that?!" Yang said as she was shocked that her younger sister had this.

"Ruby, this is..." Summer said in a stunned voice.

"I made this from the notes and leftover blueprints you left in the workshop at the house back in my first year at Signal. I was planning on rebuilding her later during my time at Beacon for my fourth year. Using her as a possible backup weapon or giving it to Yang for her to use. I haven't decided yet." Ruby explained as she straightened out the paper with paperweights on the four corners. On the said paper was the complete life-size components for remaking the Claymore sniper rifle, Summer's Iron Rose.

Summer's hand drifted down to the paper and traced a few lines with her fingers. Memories of her building and assembling filled her consciousness like a video playing in the back of her head. Plus, some more that were deeply personal.

"I don't think I've ever told anyone this...not even your father or Qrow" _or Raven_. She thought that last part. "But I think you two here should know this as it concerns my family heritage. Especially you Ruby," Summer said as she looked deep into her daughters now curious silver eyes.

"What's is it, Mom?" Ruby was now giving her mothers full undivided attention.

"You remembered something else?" Yang asked. Summer nodded in confirmation.

"This sword design, my old weapon of choice is the signature weapon that was used by my father, your grandfather. And the rifle portion was from your grandmothers' side, my mother. I went to honor their memory by combining the two along with the rest of the family as the Claymore is the signature weapon of the Rose family."

Ruby listened intently. She didn't know anything about Mom's side of the family as Dad was an orphan and didn't know where his family originated. The redhead now getting to hear more about her grandparents and her family, plus what they use for weapons? Ruby was almost a spark away from ignition to lunch a thousand questions at her mother from the excitement of finally getting answers. "What was our family?" Yang didn't say anything but paid close attention.

Summer walked away for a moment and took some nearby chairs and offered them to her two daughters, which they accepted. Summer took a deep breath before answering. "The Rose family comes from Mistral. History remembers us as one of the greatest living lines of warriors in the kingdoms history. In fact, to this day, there is still a seat on the counsel of Mistral reserved for house Rose. In comparison to what I remember and what I looked up from the CCTS the other day when I was having more memory flashbacks and wanted info. The Rose family could match the Schnees' in influence in Mistral like they could in Mantle."

The sisters were both in awe and confused by this and needed to ask. "But what happened then? If our family was so great and powerful like Weiss's family, why are we the only ones left?" Ruby asked.

They watched Summer close her eyes and stayed silent for a minute before answering. "I was young, probably a little younger then Ruby was when I disappeared that it happened. It all occurred so fast. I don't know what fully happened."

They stayed silent while they waited for their mother to finish. "Unlike most of the major players of the kingdom of the high mountains. The Roses lived outside of the capital a good ways away, past the Wind Path in the north. There, the Rose family became the protectors of the north from any threat that may decide to invade the kingdom, whether they be Grimm or not. Wardens of the north, the people at the time referred to us as it was our family that kept the trade routs from Mistral to Mantle cleared of Grimm and kept the settlements safe. They did this for centuries, or so I remember my mother telling me this."

"What changed?" Yang asked.

"I don't know everything as I am still searching for answers, but I have a theory. The Great War." Summer told them. Ruby and Yang exchanged looks before turning back to their mother.

"You think that the war had something to do with this?"

Summer nodded. "I believe it started then, yes. During the war, the Rose family lived under Mantle's rule, but not one of them joined in any battles," she said, shocking the young huntresses.

"What?!" They said together.

"They didn't join the war effort, unlike many of the other houses did on the council." Summer informed them. "Choosing to stay home and defend the settlements rather than fight their fellow man. Many houses in Mistral looked down upon our family as they believe that the Wardens of the north were cowards for not taking part in the bloody conflicts."

"What made them stay out of the fighting?" Yang said as she was finding the history lesson oddly more enjoyable then Dr. Oobleck's class.

"When Mantel began destroying everything that made us human, and Mistral had to follow through or risk losing their support in the war. The Rose family also weren't supporters of this or slavery that Mantle practiced. Thus, they became an unpopular subject in the courts but liked by the people that were under their protection. As the war grew, Grimm attacks on settlements increased. Making life difficult and losing resources for the fight to continue.

By the time the war ended. Mistral had lost many of its settlements to the south, west, and east to the monsters."

"But not the north, our family was still there defending the people, right?" Ruby asked to which Summer nodded.

"That's right. Due to not joining the war, the land where the Rose family protected got hit just as hard as everywhere else but had the warriors to defend them against Grimm attacks. That made us very popular with the people and a threat to some of the other noble houses."

Yang's mind processed the information she received before making an educated guess. She didn't know much about how politics worked but figured out what her mother was talking about. "You think someone made a powerplay and wanted to wipe you all out!" Yang said, making her sister go bug-eye and looked back at her mother for confirmation.

"I do," Summer said in confirmation. "As I said, I don't remember much. I do remember my home being quiet one moment asleep in my room before cannons sounding off in the night, and then there was fire everywhere. My mother was dragging me out of bed when the fighting started; we later found my father in his full battle armor with his massive sword in hand and me in my mother's arms as she carried me off away from the fighting. With the sight, I once called home under fire by men with catapults on one side and Grimm on the other. My mother had carried me to a nearby port town before collapsing dead at the feet of a Huntress that was there. She took me in and raised me like one of her own till I went to Beacon." She finished with a sad look in her eyes.

The three were silent for a moment before Ruby leapt from her chair gave a strong hug for her mother, Yang joining the hug a moment later. Summer was initially surprised by this by the hug but managed to return it. The happiness she got from them, hitting her like a concussion shot. When three broke the hug, Summer smiled happily at them.

"You girls need to stop making me cry like this. I'm going to be losing what street cred I have in the galaxy if anyone saw me like this," she joked, as she wiped a few tears.

"Don't worry, you'll always be Super Mom to us," Yang replied with tears running down her and Ruby's faces.

Summer's happy smile saddened when Yang said that. "Thank you, Yang, but I feel that I'm undeserving of that title," she said much to her daughters' confusion.

"What makes you say that, Mom?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Then I would have been here all this time or had taken a job closer to home, not some mission in Vacuo on another corner of the planet." Summer argued and sat back down in depression. "I don't deserve being a mother to such wonderful girls."

"Nope!" Ruby deadpans with a pop of the 'P.'

Summer looked at Ruby in surprise. "Nope?"

"Nope!" Ruby replied while getting a sense that she's done this before. "You are our mother, Mom. Whether you are alive or dead or on the other side of the galaxy helping save the day, that won't change that."

Summer was stunned by this; she then shook her head, a smile on her face. _Was this what it's like being on the receiving end when I talk to people? _

"Whelp," Yang said. "I think we've had all the heartfelt moments we can take in one afternoon. How about we start doing what we came here to do in the first place?"

The two roses looked at the blond then back at each other with smiles on their faces. "Yeah, let's get started on these bad boys. These swords won't forge themselves." Summer said.

"Yeah, we've got to - wait, swords? As in more than one?" Ruby said in confusion, Yang too.

Summer nodded with a proud smile. "That's right. We're making Claymores for all three of us as it is the signature weapon of the Rose clan."

The news that they would be making swords for them surprised the girls, doubly so for the blond brawler. Summer saw this and answered before her. "Yang, I know that you know I'm not the one that brought you into this world, but family is more than just the blood that ties us together. It is the bods that we forge that keeps us together. It is stronger than any shield or armor. It is something worth fighting for and protecting with your life."

Summer cupped her hands around her eldest tearstained cheeks. "As the Matriarch of the Rose family, you are my daughter in all but blood that I love very much." Their eyes closed, and foreheads touched. No words were said further as they were not needed.

They separated, with smiles of joy, happiness, and pride.

"Ok, enough delaying, let's get this started before something else distract us." Summer declared with her daughters nodding in agreement.

And with that, the three got to work crafting the weapons that will represent their family.

After that night, Summer, Yang, and Ruby fell into a pattern for the next few days. In the mornings, Summer would do her daily workout before having breakfast with her daughters' team. She then went over the things and duty lessens, plus writing a syllabus for her class. N school may have prepared her for many scenarios, but she may have missed the course on teaching hormonal teenagers with superpowers. The officer had more than once been having talks with other members of the staff for pointers. She was asking for tips on how to deal with over emotional teens. Goodwhitch was very helpful in this. Summer got access to videos of initiation and got to see how everyone got partnered up and completed their objective.

Seeing her youngest running up a cliff while hooking a giant Nevermore and decapitating the damn thing was something else. Summer was now sure if she showed this to Wrex, he'd make her an honorary Krogen on the spot and send an invite to his clan.

The ex-huntress had to sort out her memories of the things that she lost. Things like bringing out her Aura and manifesting her Semblance were some of the first things she did. She tried the same method that Sumara taught her when harnessing her Biotics, meditating for a few minutes, in the beginning, to bring it out before practicing what she knows and getting some small measures of success in bringing it out.

Ruby and Yang still had classes as Wiess wouldn't allow them to skip. As they said, it was mostly for attendance and receiving notices about assignments for next semester like about their mother's class.

After classes, and Summer's teacher meetings, the three would meet up in the forge and continue working on building their family weapons until well into the night. They stayed silent for the most part, occasionally telling stories about their adventures to each other. But mainly they were just enjoying each other's presence as they bonded over this shared activity.

They each had a hand in making the different components for the swords. Summer worked on the blades in the forger, making sure they are sturdy enough to take a deathstalker claw while sharpened to the point where it can cut through Beowolf in two with ease. Ruby had her hands deep in the fabricator working endlessly on the gun bolts and mechashift gears. Fitting them properly together and making sure they function when activated. Yang was on the construction of the handles and handguards. She worked as sort of a medium between the roses to make sure everything fit properly.

Sparks flew as Summer mercilessly beat away at the red-hot metal. Her augmented strength, reinforced by her Aura, gave her the power to move the dense metal into shape behind each strike. Years of battle had given her the endurance to keep the strikes equal in force and steady along each blade.

Sparks flew through the air, and light reflected off Ruby's giggles. She cut the small sections of material into their essential parts and assembled them to where they needed to be. Her eye of details in the metal and beforehand knowledge of the weapon they were making showed during assembly.

Yang may not have been as dedicated to making weapons as her younger sister was, but she gave it her all. She worked the grinders to filed out and molded the handguards and trigger welds.

At the end of the fourth day, they were ready to assemble their new weapons. Together they pieced their parts into place. When the last part was in place, the three lifted their swords and sowed off their work.

The swords cross-guard and hilt held the colors of their owners, there handles designed in a basket held design. White, red, and yellow. The blades themselves were three feet in length, half-inch thick, and sharp. Gunmetal gray box outlets contained the mechashift pieces for their gun modes.

Each weapon looked the same in its sword, aside from the color scheme that matched the Huntress holding them, held a different gun form.

Summer hit the weapon shift mechanism, and like the one that she lost a decade ago and a sniper barrel fitted out the end. One side of the guard moved down, and a scope popped out for ranged targets; the other revealed a handgrip and trigger weld. The pommel extended out a few inches before folding down to a buttstock.

Ruby's sword shifted next, similar to her mothers, mines the scope, and shorter barrel. Unlike Ruby's bolt action sniper, she made her sword into more of DMR with its semi-automatic feature. It was going to give her better mid-range combat capabilities so she could hit more targets with ease.

Yang's sword was the same as her sister and mother, with the barrel being the shortest and the wide's of the three. It also didn't have a magazine welled as they did. Instead, it had a tubular magazine that ran under the barrel with a semi-automatic function.

"Wow," Yang breathed out.

"This is so cool!" Ruby gushed with nerdy glee.

Summer felt the old familiar weight in her hand. Memories of hunts and fights flew into her mind as her Iron Thorn shifted back into sword form. Looking at her girls, she sees them admiring their new weapons. "What are their names?"

Ruby looked her's over one more time thinking hard on what to name her new weapon. "Red Legacy."

"Dragons Fang," Yang said as she lifted her sword high into the air.

Summer smiles proudly at her daughters as they examine their new weapons. "Whelp, I guess there is only one thing left to do."

"Test them out in the field," Yang said, pumped up for a fight.

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered.

A collection of growling sounded off, making the three hug their stomachs. Yang was the first to speak. "Maybe we should hold this off till later after we get something to eat?"

"Agreed," the Rose's said together.

* * *

**And we're back with another family bounding chapter!**

**Originally I was just going to have Summer with Ruby in the workshop making Iron Thorn and learning more about her family but decided to add Yang in as well. I also was going to have them only make Iron Thorn but then decided to do more and have them add Ruby and Yang's new weapons. It took me a bit to come up with names for them as I wanted to be original with the naming scheme and not pledge off off of someone else.(_Or I think I did and didn't know_) **

**Also this is my take on the Rose family and what they were before it became just to Summer and then Ruby. I took this from inspiration from the video game "For Honor" and the TV show "Game of Thrones." I hope you all enjoy reading this. **


	12. Chapter 12

The next day was Friday and the last day of the semester before the two-week break between semesters. Summer was in one of the training rooms in her combat gear, which consisted of her N7 armor under her white cloak.

Currently, she was practicing with Iron Thorn while waiting on her daughters. Together, they were going to enter the Emerald forest to find some Grimm to test their new swords on.

Summer was going back through the basics of her sword work. It had been years without her old weapon, she could practically feel the rust chipping off her old skill sets just having the sword on her back. Even though it's not the same Iron Thorn as before. But knowing its spirit is now serving to protect her daughter, brought a measure of comfort.

Reaching under her cloak, Summer grabbed and drew the claymore off her back and watched as the blade extended out as she held it in both hands. She took one last deep breath before shouting the command.

"Begin close combat program: Level 3!"

Two trap doors sprang out from the ground and rose two custom armored AK-130 combat droids armed with short swords. When they got set on stage, they activated and readied their swords for their attack.

Summer got into a mid-stance. Leaning back on her right leg while Her left foot was forward with her toe facing her right, leg slightly bent. She brought the blade back to where the handle and grip were next to her head, and the sword's flat end resting slightly on her biceps. She then waited for the first one to make their move.

The Commander didn't wait long as the one to her left approached with an overhead strike. She kept her sword steady for it as it closed in. Summer quickly parried it to the side before her sword around and slashed at its exposed chest. Her sword rebounded off the armor, but the force she put into it bushed the bot back and creating space between them. Giving the other AK-130 the opening it needed to attack her with thrusting stab. Summer brought the blade back to her with the flat end taking the blow for her, then stepping forward and striking its head with the sword's pommel first into the chin. She took a step back while bringing Thorn up to parry the next strike from the first droid.

Summer kept transitioning attacks and blocks between the two until she got a groove of combat. It was slowly coming back to her as time went on. It was starting to feel a bit easy.

_Let's change that. _Summer thought. "Begin close combat program: Level 4!"

Red lights on the droid's heads blinked in acceptance of the command. Their reaction times and speed increased, making as they went down on her with their strikes. If level 3 was anything to go by, she felt like she was fighting standard Alliance Marines, N2s, and N3s, in terms of difficulty. Now at level 4 felt like she was fighting fresh N5s.

After stopping another strike that was aiming for her head by the second droid Summer straight up, spartan kicked in the chest. Droid number one then came back with a diagonal slash, Summer pivoted to the side, spinning about on one foot in a move almost like a ballet dancer. Using the momentum of the spin and the opening the robot presented itself allowed her to bring her sword at the robot's neck joint. Thus the fast, sharp sword went through the soft metal joints, severing the head.

Defeating one, she turned back to the other and readied her sword for another strike. As soon as the droid moved to attack, so did she, ducking under a horizontal slash and while striking the robots left kneecap, bringing it down to a knee. Getting back in front of it, Summer did something she thought she tried after watching an old film she attended with her crew on movie night.

Summer repositioned her hands to where she held the blade in them and the handle out. She then brought it up in a swing like she was carrying and an ax to chop wood, bringing it down and driving the sword's guard into where the collar bone would be on a person.

"It's been some time since I've seen a finishing move like that," came a voice from above. Summer looked behind and saw Ozpin at the entrance of the sparring arena.

"Ozpin," she replied in a neutral tone.

"Commander, working hard, I see," said Ozpin calmly, right after taking a sip from his mug. Summer pulled her sword off the robot, making it fall entirely to the ground before turning to the Headmaster.

"My rank in the Alliance means little to nothing here, Ozpin. You don't have to call me that." Summer replied as she rested the flat side on her shoulder. "What're you doing away from your tower?"

"Just was out for a walk is all, stretching my legs. Paperwork for the upcoming Vytal Festival is tedious work but must be done," Ozpin said as entered the arena.

"I bet," Summer shook her head in slight amusement before turning neutral again. "What do you want?"

"Am I, the Headmaster, not allowed to walk among the hulls of his own school? To see students enjoy their studies and see how his fellow staff members are doing." He playfully replied. The deadpan look he got was everything he needed to know. "I thought you should know. The students from Atlas Academy will be arriving later tomorrow in the evening. Would you join Glynda and me to meet with the Atlas representative?"

Summer thought about it for a few moments before nodding in agreement. If she wanted to stay on top of current events, then meeting all party members was a must. Even if she didn't like some of the members.

Plus, Summer was told Atlas were the ones that made that thing that's in Beacons basement. She wanted to know how much has Atlas changed in the last decade. "I'll be there...anything else?"

"No, nothing else at the moment. But if you are heading out into the Emerald Forest, be aware that the Grimm population is notably high in the eastern section of the forest." With that, Ozpin left the arena. Leaving Summer alone with her thoughts.

"I should have known that's what you two were working on with your mother," Weiss said as she and Blake looked at the sisters.

Ruby and Yang had returned late to the dorms last night and quickly passed out from fatigue with smiles on their faces. Much to Weiss's frustration and Blake's amusement. The next day they told them that they were making weapons with their mother. Now they were in the school's locker room with the sisters showing them off to their partners.

Ruby with her 'Red Legacy' in her hands as the tip rested against the ground. Yang had 'Dragons Fang' resting on her shoulder, both with wide happy smiles on their faces.

"Oh, come on, Wiess Cream, you had to see that coming?" Yang teased at her snow-white teammate. The heiress's eye twitches at the brawlers' absurd nickname.

"So, what is the plan now?" Blake asked the two sisters.

"Mom wants to test these babies out! Sent us a message to meet at one of the training rooms," Yang answered. Ruby then cut in.

"And then I thought, why not make this a perfect opportunity to get in on some more training? The class Mom's going to teach is going to be about teamwork and leadership. I'd figure we can get an early start and be ahead of the class."

Weiss could only stare at her team leader before shaking her head.

"So, are we heading out?" The cat Faunas asked.

"As soon as you two are ready." They checkmate pair nodded before they went to their lockers to retrieve.

Team RWBY then went to the sparing room for the meetup. Reaching their destination, Ruby pulled the door back, and the four girls jumped back in surprise when the upper portion of an AK-130 android went flying through the door. Looking inside, the girls were treated with the sight of the sparing ring littered with busted robots. Some were busted, others sliced to pieces or... melted? And at the center of the carnage stood the sisters' mother.

Summer stood in her combat armor and white hood. Iron Thorn in her hands at a low guard position as another. An AK-130 with a short sword charged at her. She sidestepped past a sword swing by doing a perfect one-eighty spin, slicing the robots head in one motion. To the onlookers, it was over within a moment.

The group spectating looked at the carnage and the final move in silence. The silence was broken by Yang, "Whoa."

The Commander took notice of the audience she gathered and smiled at them. "Hey, girls! Sorry if I went ahead, but I needed to let out some steam."

"It's ok, mom," Ruby said as she brought her team closer to the N7. "How's Iron Thorn 2.0 preforming?"

Summer heft the blade up with no problem and let it rest on her shoulder. "She feels great in my hands. The blade feels a bit heavy, but if I control the momentum a bit better, I'll have little difficulty cutting monsters to small bits."

"Been a while since the last time I've used a blade properly. The Alliance made me a sniper exclusively and fought at a distance for years. It wasn't until I got Biotics that I began to draw myself back into CQC." She demonstrated by putting a bit of power into her unoccupied hand.

"So, Mom. Are you ready to head out and fight some Grimm?" Yang asked with a fist pump.

"We can go out into the forest if you want. I was just testing Thorn here in a controlled environment before putting her against any Grimm. I see you brought your partners along," Summer observed as she looked at Weiss and Blake.

"More like dragged," Weiss shot a glare at her partner.

"We wanted to let this be a family thing, but Yang and Ruby insisted that we join you," Blake answered.

"Well, I don't mind. The more the merrier and more eyes to watch each other backs." Summer smiled. "Is everyone good here?" The four teens nodded. "Good, we'll be going out to Beacon Cliffs and see if we can find some Grim to take down in the Emerald Forest."

"The Emerald Forest? I thought we were going to practice sparing in the training rooms?" Weiss said as she looked at the older women.

"No better to test your metal than in combat." Summer looks up and down the Heiress with a raised eyebrow, then looks at the other three girls of team RWBY. "I'll wait over by the cliffs while you get geared up. Meet me there when you're ready."

"What are you talking about? We're good to go now," Yang replied.

The Commander looked at the with an unreadable expression. After a full minute of silent staring, the four started to feel a little awkward.

"Um...something wrong, Mom?" Ruby asked.

The Commander smiled sheepishly as she rubs her the back of her head. "Sorry, girls, it's just...high heels and skirts...do girls really fight in those?" Summer asked her the four. The team looked at each other in confusion.

"Um...yeah, why? What's wrong with them?" Ruby asked.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, but even after seeing your initiation footage. You guys look more ready for a party rather than a fight." Summer put it bluntly. "Also, if I was a bad guy and you were coming after me, I'd be less then amused and think you all like a dumb joke and wouldn't take you seriously."

The team looked at the Huntress in shock, the sisters most of all as it was their mom. Weiss took it a bit worse. "Excuse you, but I'll have you know that this is an authentic Mantel style battle skirt that my older sister had ordered to assist me combat!" The heirs proclaimed.

"And what's her profession? Because I was planning on taking you all to a fruitful hunting trip, not to a dance recital," Summer responded.

Weiss became red in anger. "I'll have you know that my sister graduated from Atlas academy and is Specialist in the Atlas military directly under General Ironwood."

Summer was slightly impressed but didn't show it. "And this is what they wear into battle? I feel sorry for the guys that have to wear heels while fighting giant evil bears." That got Yang and Ruby to openly laugh at her joke. Blake also smiled while Weiss visibly twitched.

"I'll have you know that Winter is a superb fighter and one of Atlas best! She has tutored me to become a strong huntress, and I will not let you disrespect her in any form no matter who you are!" Weiss drew her blade on the older woman. "Insult my family again, and I will gladly show you the power of the Schnee family!"

Ruby, Yang, and Blake looked at their friend and teammate in shock. The heiress had just drawn a weapon at a professional soldier and the mother of the two of them. And was daring her to start a fight!

Summer, on the other hand, was indifferent aside from a small smile on her face. She drew Thorn again and let it rest on her shoulder before stepped back into the ring.

"You talk big, you willing to back your beliefs, Ms. Schnee?" Summer declared.

The SDC heiress realized just who she was up against, but her pride wouldn't let her back down. So she stepped in the right after the rings shields came up.

"I am." She got into a fighting stance with her blade, Myrtenaster, at the ready.

"Then defend it and fight me with everything you have!" Summer said as she charged forward with Iron Thorn in hand.

Weiss as she raises her weapon defensively before using Myrtenaster to draw a pale blue circle in the air, forming a force-field. Cyan shockwaves radiate from the center of the force-field as the Commander sword impact. Weiss then attempts to slash Summer, but the older woman brought the sword back in time for it to scrape off the flat of Iron Thorn. The Commander attempted another overhead swipe. But Weiss points her weapon downwards and lets the claymore simply run down its side, creating sparks but missing Weiss completely. Weiss then spins and slashes Summer again, knocking her back. She flips gracefully over the N7, cutting at her head and landing on the other side of her.

Summer takes a hand and rubs the area where Weiss's last cut was. "Not bad, guess I needed not to underestimate you then."

"You would be wise to do so!" Weiss declared as she readied her reaper.

"Then, I won't!" Summer responded with a flair of her Biotics traveling down Iron Thorn before swiping at her. The dark energy came fast and hit the heiress before she could dodge. Weiss was swept off her feet and flew through the air before her back impacted the arena's barrier. "But you still have much to learn."

Weiss got back up, determination, and pride flashing before her face. She raised her hand and a series of white snowflakes appearing around the arena.

This was the semblance of the Schnee family. The Schnee Glyphs.

Summer narrowed her eyes as she recognized Weiss's semblance. She studied it after watching the initiation footage, it had a few properties that would make things difficult.

'_Judging by the way those glyphs are surrounding me, this girl has a plan of action. She'll likely use them as springboards to attack me from different directions while I'm in the arena's center._' The Commander thought as she spots another one of those snowflakes under Weiss too. '_Well, give her props for ingenuity, but now it's time for me to break the rust off these joints. Time to show these kids why you shouldn't engage a veteran N7 in close combat.'_

She watched as Weiss sprung forward towards her. Angling her body just right, she ducked under the oncoming attack, dropped Iron Thorn in the process, grabbed Weiss by her wrist that held her weapon, and flipped her over her shoulder.

Weiss felt her whole world tumble as a sense of vertigo kicked in. When her mind cleared, she got back up to realize that she didn't have Myrtenaster anymore.

"Looking for this?"

Weiss looked and saw Summer with her reaper. "Your style of combat serves you well, Ms. Schnee." Summer then tossed the weapon behind her and took up a fist-fighting stance. "Now let us see if you could benefit from a proper hand to hand lesson."

Weiss felt a tinge of some sweat fall from her face before slowly getting in a boxer stance.

In the sidelines outside the arena, the rest of team RWBY watch the fight with much anticipation. They watched as Wiess's weapon hit the floor behind the sister's mother, far away from Weiss.

"Well, this just got a whole lot interesting," Yang said as she watched intently on the unarmed fighting stance her mother get into. Being a hand to hand fighter herself, she was very interested in what Summer style could do. "Is Weiss trying to copy my fighting stance?" Seeing her teammate with her hands up like what a boxer would.

Blake was also paying close attention to the fight. "Possible. Weiss is now at a disadvantage. She fights using her weapon with precision and refinement. We all remember the first day with Ports class when Weiss nearly lost the match with that Bortusk."

Ruby sat silently throughout the match. She wanted to cheer for her mother, but she also wanted to cheer for Weiss too. Seeing her mother disarming her partner, she felt things weren't going to go so well for Weiss.

Back in the arena, Summer motioned Weiss to come at her. Wiess became angry and charged at the woman, throwing a fit of fast fists to Summer.

Each one Summer dodged. Keeping her movements tight and quick. Left. Right. Left. Left. Big right. She was moving before the uppercut was even thrown, but throw it Summer did. The heiress clearly surprised by the elder Rose's rapid-fire movements and ability to predict her attacks. She grunted as Summer's boot collided firmly with her front and sent her sprawling back to the floor.

Before Weiss could get up, a boot was planted right next to her head. Looking up, Summer stood over her with the orange glow of an Omni-Blade pointing down over her face.

"I think that's a match." Summer said as she deactivated the blade and offered the teen a hand.

Weiss looked at the offering appendage and took it, pulling her up with ease. Summer then pulled out her scroll and deactivated the arena's barriers, allowing the rest of the first-year team on the field.

"Whelp, that didn't last long," Yang said.

"Weiss, are you ok?" Ruby said in concern as she went to her partner's side.

"My Aura didn't break, Ruby. I'm fine," Weiss replied with a bit of irritation. She pulled out her scroll to gauge her Aura, she saw that she still had 70% of her Aura remaining with the elder Rose just slightly below full strength.

"Was that wise to try goading her into a fight, Misses Rose?" Blake asked the veteran warrior.

"Please Blake, when it's just us, call me Summer. And to answer your question, I was testing her." Her reply got the girl's attention. "When Weiss got defensive about her clothing and was related to her sister, I was curious to see how she would react when pressed. When you drew your weapon, I got my answer."

Summer walked over and stood in front of the heiress. What she said next surprised them. "You'd make an excellent protector one day, Weiss Schnee. It takes courage to defend one's belief, and I could see from that spark in your eyes that you will be willing to fight to the end for them, is that right?"

Weiss looked into the silver eyes of the woman that easily bested her in combat. "I would," Wiess replied. "Not many know this, but Winter is perhaps the only family I have that I really care for. Despite giving up the title of 'heiress' and forcing it on to me, I still love her. My father, on the other hand, is not a good man. He is trying and succeeding in turning my younger brother into a younger version of himself. Then there's my mother, who has withdrawn and drives herself dink herself every day."

"And lately, I suspect my father is trying to find a reason to remove me as heir and give it to Whitely. Where I believe things would only get worse...to which is my biggest fear."

Weiss was then enveloped in a hug by her partner. The heiress sighed but excepted it without protest. "Thanks, Ruby."

Your welcome, Weiss, just remember that you don't have to do this alone. We're your friends, we support each other." Ruby gestured to Yang an Blake, both were smiling and nodded with their leader.

Weiss smiled back at them. "Thanks, girls." She turned to the elder Rose and bowed. "And thank you for the spar and your assessment, professor."

Summer laughed. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that title," the woman shook her head and gave the girl an earnest smile. "You are still learning about yourself and have more room to grow. Your skills have a foundation and your building off them. It's why you are here to complete your training, not just to be a better fighter, but what kind of person you end up becoming." Summer advised.

'_Dear God, I sound like Samara when she recited some of her code of the Justiciars to me,_' Summer thought idly.

"Alright then!" Yang catching everyone's attention. "Having seen you two fight has got me pumped." The teen looked directly at the Huntress. "How about it, Mom, ready for round two with me this time, or are you getting old in your age?" Yang lightly teased her step-mother.

The members of team RWBY felt the air suddenly go cold around them. They turn to Summer and felt their skin forming goosebumps.

Summer smiled sweetly at her oldest, a dark aura seemed to manifest around her elder Rose, sending a spike of fear to shoot up the teens' spines.

"Old am I, Yang?" Yang's senses told her that danger approached. "Well then, guess it's time for the kid gloves to come off them."

Silver eyes that once held a motherly warmth now carried a fire that promised pain. "Thank you for volunteering, Yang. With your semblance for absorbing attacks, I'm itching to go all out."

"W-what about going to the forest, Mom?" Ruby shuddered as she tried to find a way to save her sister.

"Don't worry, Ruby. The forest will be there for us another day," Summer replied sweetly to her daughter. Making said daughter shiver on the spot.

Summer refocused back on her eldest, making Yang routed in her spot. Feeling a bit strange as this had never happened to her before. Meanwhile, the RWB of the team proceeded to hightail it out of the ring when Summer presented her scroll.

"Now Yang. Let us begin."


	13. Chapter 13

"It seems Summer hasn't lost her touch over the years," Glynda commented as she watched from her scroll the live stream match between her and Raven's child.

"Indeed," Ozpin answered as he to watched the match from his scroll's screen. "Thou, I don't believe she was as proficient in hand to hand as before her time in Beacon. Most likely from the various militant groups that have recruited her over her years in space." The Headmaster said as he examined the fight.

Goodwitch glanced over at the old wizard with stern eyes. "She also wasn't very pleased the state Amber is in."

"None of us like the state Amber is in, nor can we change that for that matter," Ozpin replied. "Our only hope now is ether find Amber's attacker or find us our guardian."

"I hope she can find them..." Glynda said.

Ozpin and Goodwitch had shown Summer the Vault, where the current Fall Maiden was kept and explained her condition. They could tell that Summer felt heartbroken by the fate that befell young Amber. But it was when they presented the circumstance of the Fall Maidens power to another girl. Summer had nearly lost it. The woman was very vocal and against the idea of the Aura machine and the procedure. Goodwhitch was in the same boat as the elder Rose in this discussion.

"I do too." Ozpin said solemnly.

The two continued to watch the fight in silence. Ozpin noticed something in the huntsman fighting style that made him softly hum. "I wonder why she isn't using the weapons she brought with from her time above?"

His college also saw this. "From what I gather, Summer's weapon's from space shoots at a velocity above what Dust is capable of doing. Damage from this weapon is unknown to us, and don't know how it stands against a person's Aura. Perhaps she is cautious when using it on a student, her daughter most of all." Glynda explained as she examend Summer putting Yang in a submissive chokehold. The blonds legs kicked feverishly in a comical way as she tried to get herself out. Ozpin chuckled from the sight. "Although it seems that she won't need to demonstrate for this."

"No, I would think not," Ozpin agreed.

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

"This has to be the most incredible way to waste food I have ever seen."

Summer stood next to two boys, a monkey Faunus and a blue hair boy who just got covered in grape soda. Just minutes ago, Summer had walked into the Cafeteria to get a snack only for a crowd kids, nearly running her over. The next was Team JNPR standing over a mountain of stacked lunch tables, facing off against Team RWBY, responding with a declaration of war, and a resounding battle cry that would make Wrex beat his chest with pride.

What followed would be considered madness by the Human Systems Alliance standards.

Blond teen getting knocked down by flying turkeys, bread sword fights of epic proportions, her oldest daughter being sent through the roof by a ginger with a watermelon mallet, ending with a cyclone of speed and food created by youngest.

Now they were looking at the wall covered in school food minus the full-body imprints that team JNPR left behind as they fell to the ground.

"I love these guys," the boy with the monkey tail said. The flat look the other boy covered in soda gave him said otherwise.

The doors behind them quickly burst open with Glynda entering the mess, growling as she went. She proceeds to use her telekinesis in a display that would put biotics all over the galaxy to shame as she re-organizes the room back to the way it was. Summer even noticed she removed most of the soda stains from the two teams.

"Children, please. Do not play with your food!" Glynda's stated as she adjusts her glasses.

Nora burps aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBY try and fail to compose themselves. A screaming Yang then crashes from the ceiling into one of the tables, and they all laugh at the situation.

Glynda grumbled, but Ozpin approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let it go." He told her.

Glynda sighed. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."

"And they will be, but right now, they're still children. So why not let them play the part?" He continued, before walking away from the group. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever." He finished.

Summer narrowed her eyes dangerously at the Headmaster. She knew his game and how he picked his players. After all, her old team was a few pieces of 'their' board. The way he eyed her daughter's team just now was not something she liked. It was the same one he had with her team. Summer would make damn sure to keep them away from the Old Wizard and Witch's war.

She will do whatever it took for team RWBY not to be another STRQ.

"Hey, kids!" She shouted, gaining the two teams. The sister's skin paling a bit when they locked eyes.

"Oh! Hey, mom..." Yang said shyly.

"Alright, kids. Just because you have fun doesn't mean you can slack off afterwards. Grabs some brooms and mops and clean up your mess." Summer pointed at the nearby janitor closet. The teams looked stunned while the N7 raised an eyebrow. "What? Didn't think your actions have consequences? I expect this lunchroom to be clean by dinner is served later."

"Aww..." some of the girls cried.

Being a teacher has its perks.

* * *

"I don't remember Atlas showing up like this when my team participated during the Vytal Festival."

Summer stood with the Headmaster Ozpin and Glynda in the Headmaster's office. The three watching the major show of force the kingdom of Atlas displayed for the people of Vale. The N7 Commander could respect the display of strength demonstrated before her, but the Elite Huntress said otherwise.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," Glynda says in an annoyed tone.

"It's one way of showing off," Summer said in a neutral tone. Her eye's moving from ship to ship to gage their firepower.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man," Ozpin says as three more armed Bullheads fly by the tower. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." A chirping beep sounded repeatedly. Ozpin turned to see a hollow-message "_Access Requested_" on his desk. "Come in." He invited.

Summer looked to see three people walk in, two men and a woman dressed in white and blue.

She had never met the guy before her disappearance from her memories. Ozpin recruited him into his circle of friends a year into her trip to the stars. From the file Ozpin gave her, he started as a Huntsman from Atlas. According to his psych profile, a workaholic who made his way up to the Kingdoms military and Headmaster of their Huntsman Academy seats. Thus, allowing him to hold two seats on the Council. He wore a military dress uniform with the typical Atlas white colorings and had a single white glove on his right hand. A thing to note is he had a gunslinger belt with two heavy pistols on each side. The other had a man with short brown hair and teal-green eyes. His uniform suited him more as a Huntsman then a military officer as it had no sleeves. He also wore a belt that carried some gear on his left side and a rabbit's foot on the right. Now the last person, a tall and fair-skinned young woman with strikingly features similar to her daughter's partner Weiss. She had on a white long sleeve coat with a dark blue waistcoat. The woman also was armed with a single edge sword that hung to her belt.

The N7 also noted that the three stared briefly but intently in Summer's direction when they walked out of the elevator. Her danger sense flared in response, not too dissimilar to how hostile merc gangs and Batarians looked at her.

"Ozpin!" Ironwood cordially says as he walks to the other Headmaster.

Ozpin stands at attention. "Hello, General."

"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood was speaking informally now. Both headmasters shake hands as Glynda and Summer also approach. "Glynda, It's been too long. It has certainly been too long since we last met."

"Hello, James!" Glynda gives a personable wave and then drops all pleasantries. "I'll be outside." She says to Ozpin as she walks away.

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit." Ironwood remarks.

"And I can tell where I'm not needed," Summer followed behind her fellow professor but stopped when the other man stepped in her path.

He then turned to Summer and studied her for a moment. "Summer Rose," Ironwood's tone was away from friendly and more neutral. "You will stay."

Tension filled the air suddenly as Glynda stopped her walking and turned back to them. The Weiss look alike gave Summer a narrowed stare while the unknown man just gave her a confident smile. Ozpin looked mostly indifferent, but his eyes did darken over with a shadow.

"James..."

Summer raised an eyebrow at the shift in atmosphere and turned back to face Ironwood. "Is there a problem, General."

The General looked squarely into Summer's eyes. "There is...you."

When a sword and fishing pole(?) extended out to her in a threatening manner. Summer didn't react other then eyed their owners with a raised eyebrow. "I've been in a lot of fights and situations in my life. But this is a first I've been threatened with a fishing pole."

Glynda had rushed with her riding crop out at the ready. She was looking directly at the two Atlas specialists, waiting for either to make the first move. Summer was grateful she had backup if this turns any uglier. Looking back at the General, he had his hand on a heavy magnum ready to draw. Ozpin was not idle.

"James, call off your men." Said Beacons headmaster. He was glaringly disapproving at the General. Said man was not backing down.

"Ozpin, she is a security risk. She has been MIA for a decade declared dead. A member of the inner circle believed to be killed by the enemy." Ironwood drew his weapon but didn't raise it. "In that time, Miss Rose would likely have been kidnapped and been turned to the enemy's side. We will bring her for interrogation for confirmation."

Summer's reaction was minor, giving the General a look that she usually reserved for the Citadel Council. "You have got to be kidding me?" She responded dryly, then looks over at Ozpin. "Did you not debrief him of my whereabouts?"

"I've given him the highlights, but I did not expect him to react like this." Ozpin visibly did not look pleased.

"Got it, lack of communication, been there, never fun," Summer nodded before turning to the General. "Ozpin knows my story and its legitimacy. He'll get you updated."

Summer threw a dual-pull on the weapons drawn at her, before quickly walking away from the surprised and now disarmed Atlas specialists. Glynda joined her to help stop the the Atlas soldiers from coming after her. Before stopping at the elevator. "Oh, before I forget. Try and keep what is being said off the records, please. I've seen your cybersecurity. Very unimpressive."

With that she and Goodwhitch left the Headmaster officer. Stealing a glance at the occupant's, Ironwood and the Weiss lookalike did not look pleased. The Fisherman looked confused, and Ozpin looked at the General with a less than happy expression.

When the elevator doors closed, Summer let out the air she been holding. "That went well," she said dryly.

Glynda nodded in agreement. "I did not expect this from James."

The Commander looked at her fellow professor. "It sounded for a moment that you two had a history. Want to talk about it?"

The deputy headmistress looked up at the ceiling with a faraway look in her eyes. "We worked closely before for a time and asked me out on a few dates. But I didn't feel connected with him as our work got in the way." She explained

"What happened? Summer asked.

"It started with work keeping us apart, him being up north in Atlas while I stayed in Vale." Glynda continues as we descend. "When he became the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, he grew more attached to his work. Now with him leading the Atlas military, he holds two votes of the Atlas Council and is the reason for their large-scale militarization. It got even worse when Qrow, of all people, brought evidence of him slowly encouraged Huntsman to join the kingdom's military." When the elevator doors opened, she inclined her head a little to follow.

As they walked out and entered the courtyard to see the new arrivals to Beacon did the Commander understood the problem.

The students from Atlas marched, not walked, MARCHED in like a military unit. Teams of four walked side by side in white and cyan blue colors. Like soldiers on parade while the students of Beacon gave them looks of either curiosity or confusion. Huntsman and Huntresses were created not to be bound to a single kingdom but to serve the world. What Ironwood and essentially Atlas was doing was pushing that aside, turning them into a militarized state.

Summer analyzed the students as they went past. "I'm guessing not only you disagreed with what went on up north?"

"Lots...many civilians of Mistral and Vale protested against it, their Council's not liking Atlas's sudden military development. They pushed for Atlas to stopped but later stopped when Atlas started providing military hardware to the other kingdoms for defense against the Grimm. The rest is history." Said Glynda as she turned away from the Atlas students and leaving Summer alone.

Looking farther behind the students, she noticed several individuals that didn't look like students. More like Huntsman and dressed similarly to the fishing pole guy. "Well...if anything, at least things won't be boring around here."

.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. Had lots of real world distractions keeping me from working on this. Second job, car wreak, people stealing my notebook holding my rough drafts that hold this story and others on my page, causing me to have writers block. Pissed me off too.**

**Also have an idea for a future story. I've tried looking but I've come up way short about any Star Wars story where the Empire invades modern day Earth. So I'm going to rectified that by giving it a shot. No plot just straight up planetary invitation by the Empire and what the nations of today would do. If anyone dose find a Star wars story like that let me know because I would like to read that too.**


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